Blinding Lights
by tinkertot95
Summary: She was born to make a difference and so that is what she will do. (An AU story, rated T for language and for some themes)
1. Life and Death

**Welcome to chapter 1! This story is a little different from what I normally do. First of all, it was inspired by Dreaming of Sunshine by The Silver Queen. This story deals with reincarnation and the idea of making a difference in the Naruto world. This story does not take place in the DOS universe. This story contains my own original characters that I hope you come to love. The first chapter jumps around quite a bit and I'm not totally satisfied with it. It slows down when you hit chapter two, so hang in there! Constructive criticism is greatly appreciated as it helps me build the confidence to continue posting. So let me know what you think! Enjoy!**

It has been a long time since I have been at peace like this…which is cause for concern. My life, since graduating from high school, has been filled with hectic schedules, difficult college courses, and a lot of emotional trauma. There is always this tension in my shoulders no matter what I accomplish…so this warm, happy feeling is really kind of freaking me out. Normally the dark would scare me, but I'm not alone….though this other person is making it pretty cramped in here. So we should probably move…I mean, that only makes sense. No sooner than I think the thoughts we're moving…pushed along almost forcefully. When my companion is gone, I'm still warm…but I also feel a little empty. Who is this person? Lights hit my eyes and I squeeze them shut as I scream. Why is it so cold! Wait a minute…Why are people clapping. Someone wraps me in a blanket and I'm laid in a woman's arms. Wait a minute. Was I just born?

"Sasuke….and Minako." The woman, my mother apparently, says lovingly. I'll have to figure out what's going on later…for now I think that I can handle this. "Fugaku…look at them."

"Yes." The man says and then a boy comes into my line of sight. He seems shocked as he holds out a finger to me. I take it.

"Mother…what is my sister's name?" He asks, not breaking the eye contact with me. It's almost as if he's under a spell.

"Minako. And your brother is Sasuke." She says and he smiles. "What do you think?" He wiggles his finger in my hand. That tickles, so I smile…not really able to force sound from my chest.

"They're…perfect. Aren't they?" He asks, looking to Mother who smiles warmly. I catch a glimpse of the man though…I can only assume that he is my father.

"Minako will probably be a good deal weaker than you and your brother." He says and that really upsets me.

"Then I will help her become strong." My brother says and I'm able to make a happy sound. "After all…Auntie says that is what a big brother is supposed to do."

"You will be a fine big brother, Itachi." Mother says and I coo again. I agree…he's doing a great job so far. This doesn't make much sense, but if Mother and Itachi are this great then it can't be so bad.

* * *

As I grow what I remember becomes dimmer and dimmer…and what I remember is very disconcerting. So I know that writing it down is the best that I can do. At the tender age of seven years old, I am in a hurry to learn as much as I can. What I have remembered and learned about myself is that I am somehow existing in a world that I never thought really existed. My name is Minako Uchiha…twin sister to Sasuke Uchiha…the shinobi who vowed to avenge the massacre of his family. There are a few problems with this realization. First of all, I do not know who did it. Second…I know that there is something coming in about ten years that is going to give me a run for my money if I don't hurry up and learn some useful techniques. The confines of my seven year old body, however, are very frustrating.

"Breathe out, Minako." Father says and I nod once before I restart my kata. "There is a time for silence, while you are learning is not it."

"Yes, Father. I'm sorry." I say as I finish. "Father, may I ask a question?" I look up at him.

"Yes, what is it?" He asks and I observe him. He is obviously annoyed…but he is always annoyed. Probably being the chief of the police force…but I can't help but feel like it is Sasuke and I's fault.

"Why am I receiving this supplemental lesson? I thought that I was doing well in my taijutsu training." I say and he regards me for a moment.

"Minako, you have exceeded my expectations and for that I am pleased with you. However, as my daughter you will be required to marry at a relatively young age and so you will most likely not be a kunoichi for very long. So what you do from now until then is the most experience you will probably have. Someday you will benefit from this training in helping your own children learn the Uchiha techniques." He says and I have mixed feelings. He's proud, but he's not going to let me use my abilities.

"Isn't it counterintuitive to the safety of the village and the people in the Land of Fire to restrict someone who could possibly be their best bet for survival? If I can assist my brothers, then shouldn't my place be alongside them?" I ask and I don't even see his hand coming towards my face. The echo of the slap is loud in the stunned silence. I look up at him and he looks just as shocked as I am. I speak out from time to time, but I've never challenged him like that. I know my place…enough.

"Go. And get those ideas out of your head." He says and I walk away with my shoulders squared and my head held high. I see Itachi when I exit the dojo and I keep my calm composure until I reach him. He holds me as I quietly cry and I can tell that he is angry.

"Itachi?" I ask as he lets go of me and he turns my head at the chin so that he can look at my cheek. My lip is also split.

"Come along." He says and I nod, following behind my brother. We leave the house without telling Mother which makes me uncomfortable. "Would you like to ride on my back?"

"Sure!" I say happily and he crouches so that I can climb on. Everyone smiles at us as we pass them.

"What do you say to learning a new technique today? You're old enough and you're more than ready for it." Itachi asks and I feel my eyes widen.

"Really!? Is it the one that Father has been trying to teach Sasuke?" I ask and he smiles a little, nodding. "Of course I want to learn it!" But if I'm not going to be allowed to…"

"Minako, never doubt yourself. I would be honored to fight along a strong kunoichi such as yourself." He says and my cheeks heat up. "If you keep working hard like you have, you'll be just as strong as Tsunade someday."

"You really think so?" My voice is a whisper. "Me? As strong as…" I shake my head. "That's impossible."

"Nothing is impossible if you believe in your cause. And even if you doubt yourself, I believe in you, Minako." He says and I hear the truth behind his words. "Trying to contain your spirit is like trying to stop the wind from blowing. Father is in the wrong to try and stop you." As much as I agree with him, it is uncomfortable to hear him talking like this. I've sensed the rift growing between Itachi and Father for a while now. I spot Shikamaru Nara walking with his father and I hold onto my brother a little tighter. Their family always seems so relaxed…I wish that we could be that way. Shikamaru is looking at me.

"Minako, what'd you do to your face?" He asks, taking the time to tease me unlike he is with anyone else and I stick my tongue out at him, forgetting my split lip.

"A training accident!" I say defensively. Itachi and Shikamaru's father seem amused at our exchange. Shikamaru reaches into his pocket.

"You've probably got stuff, but here's something that should help your lip heal faster." He says, holding out the small jar lazily.

"It is much appreciated, thank you." Itachi says as he accepts it from him. Why is he helping me?

"Yes….thank you." I say, hoping that the confusion isn't in my tone. "But this doesn't change the fact that the next time we play ninja I will defeat you with one hand tied behind my back!"

"Yeah, yeah. Don't be so troublesome." He waves me off before he turns back to his father. My eye twitches. Itachi chuckles and we continue on our way.

"Dare I say that my little sister has a crush?" Itachi asks and I nearly fall off of his back at that outrageous assumption.

"No way!" I exclaim and I can hear another voice saying it at the same time as me. What? "He's just a frustrating boy in my class. He could be very successful, but he doesn't because all he wants to do is nap. Any other time he can't be bothered, but he always seems to make the time to bother me."

"Hmm…it sounds like he may have a crush on you then." He says in a teasing tone. I glower at him lightly.

"You're being mean, Itachi. Why on earth would someone go and do something stupid like that?" I ask and he laughs. We're walking in a forested area now...well he's walking. "Where are we going?"

"We're going to a place that not many people know about…I like to come here when I need to think." He says and I smile…he's sharing something with me. He stops in front of a decent sized pond before he lets me down. He crouches in front of me and begins applying the salve to my lip. He smiles when he's finished. "Today I am going to be teaching you the great fireball technique."

"Itachi…" I say, taking a wary step back. "Iruka-sensei says that if someone my age uses too much chakra, we could really hurt ourselves."

"Yes, someone your age could use too much chakra and the consequences could be bad. However, the Uchiha are special because naturally we have more chakra than average shinobi. Do you know why?" He asks, standing up.

"Is it because of the Sharingan?" I ask and he smiles. He has got to be kidding…there's no way that I could do something like this. "Okay…so I have more chakra than a normal person. But isn't it still dangerous for me?"

"Father is teaching Sasuke, so I see no reason why you shouldn't be just as successful as he is." He says and that lights my proverbial fire. I have been progressing faster than Sasuke has for the past two years which is something that Father has not let my twin brother forget. I constantly stick my neck out to take the negative attention away from him and for what? "Are you ready?"

"Yes." I say and he nods gravely. I will prove my father wrong and I will make a difference somehow. Maybe if I know this technique I can stop whoever is plotting to kill our family.

"Very good. The seals that are used in this technique are tiger, ram, monkey, boar, horse, and then tiger again. I will demonstrate once and then you will show me what you can do." He says and I nod again. He steps to the edge of the pond and makes the seals, slower than he normally would, and he holds half of the tiger seal to his mouth as he breaths a very large fireball. I pull my hair into a ponytail at the nape of my neck, determination settling into my expression as I step up to the edge of the pond as well. I work through the seals carefully before I hold the half tiger to my lips and blow. To my complete surprise, the fire ball comes from within me with ease. I look up at my brother when I finish and he looks proud.

"Was that a group hallucination just now? Or did that really happen?" I ask and he chuckles.

"It happened. I'm very proud of you Minako…though I never doubted that you could do it. You're very advanced for your age." He says and I laugh.

"I'm nothing like you, but I guess I do alright. I have to if I want to succeed." I say and he smiles.

"And never let anyone, not even Father, tell you that you can't." He says and I smile brightly at him. "Now don't do that too often, because you are still so young…but practicing every once in a while is a good idea."

"I'll do my very best, Itachi." I say and his fond smile grows. There's a strange look in his eyes though.

"I know that you will. Why don't we go home now? Mother will want you to help her with dinner." He says and I nod. He lifts me onto his back before he begins walking again. "You know that I will always do my best to protect you, right?"

"I never doubt you…you're my big brother." I say, resting my chin on his shoulder. "You help Sasuke and I grow stronger any chance that you get."

"Yes….I just need you to know that no matter how far away I may be, I am always proud to be your older brother and I will protect you. You have my solemn word." He says and I frown.

"Itachi…what's going on?" I ask and he chuckles. "Are you thinking about running away because Father is a jerk? Because if you do…will you take me with you? Take over my ninja training and show me the world…"

"Don't be silly, Minako." He says and I frown. "Is that what you day dream about?" He asks and I feel embarrassed. "I'm hardly qualified to train you…you're exactly where you need to be right now. Trust in your sensei."

"Okay." I say with a nod. He still hasn't addressed whether or not he plans on running away. I guess I'll drop it. "I love you, Itachi."

"And I love you." He says and I tighten my arms in a hug. "You and Sasuke are what inspires me to keep fighting and to come home…so that I can share my experiences with you and I can take comfort in knowing that the village will be in your capable hands someday."

"Now you're the one who is being silly." I say and he chuckles. "But if it came down to it…and our backs were against the wall, I would do anything to make sure that my comrades could make it home…even if that meant putting my life on the line. Whether you're my comrade or if it's Shikamaru."

"I know you would….but it's very curious that you brought that Nara boy up again…" He says and I huff. "I'm teasing you, Minako…after all isn't that what normal older brothers do?"

"Yeah, but you're anything BUT normal." I say, sticking my tongue out at him. He laughs.

"All jokes aside…you'll never have to die for me because I will protect you at all costs." He says and I let it go. He's gotten like this with me before. I just hug him again. He must have had a tough mission. I know that sometimes it's hard for shinobi to deal with things.

* * *

"Sasuke?" I whisper as I walk into his room he sits up in bed before he throws the covers back. I climb in with him and we lay back down. "I'm worried about Father and Itachi."

"I am too…but it'll be okay." He says, hugging me. "No matter what, we're a family and I'll always do my best to make sure that we're okay."

"Me too." I say and he smiles. "You're getting so much stronger every single day. I'm proud of you. I know it's not as great as Father being proud of you because I'm only a girl…but…"

"Minako…if no one else in the world but you is proud of me….I think I can be okay with that." He says and that brings tears to my eyes. "You're my sister, you're not just a girl."

"I love you, Sasuke." I say and he smiles before he kisses my forehead. Something he's picked up from Itachi, no doubt.

"I love you too, Mina. Now get some sleep. We've got a busy day at school tomorrow." He says and I nod before I close my eyes.

* * *

As Sasuke and I walk into class I notice all of the girls looking at him and I feel annoyed. Why do they have to be weird about him? We move over to our usual seats and sit down.

"Mina….I never asked, but what happened to your cheek and your lip?" Sasuke asks and I smile.

"I was training with Father and I was too slow. It was an accident. You don't need to worry about it." I say, promoting soothing feelings. He looks skeptical. "I was with Itachi afterwards and we ran into Shikamaru. He gave me a salve that's helped with my lip." Distract. Distract. Come on, take the bait. Be the protective brother you want to be. There's the scowl….and he's standing up. "Where are you going?" I follow him as he walks over to where Shikamaru and Choji are sitting.

"Shikamaru." He says and the boy lifts his head. "Thanks for helping Minako." Shikamaru's eyes shift to me before he shrugs.

"No problem. What kind of guy would I be if I let a girl stay hurt?" He asks and I feel my eye twitch.

"Alright." Sasuke says and then he drags me away. I raise an eyebrow at him. "I can't let other people take care of my sister."

"I'm not juuuust your sister, Sasuke. I'm a pretty likable person when I'm not being sassy." I say and he snickers. "Mother says that Father says I'm exasperating."

"He's got that right." He says dryly and I stick my tongue out at him. "After school I've got something that I need to do…do you want me to walk you home first?"

"Nope, I can handle myself." I say and he sticks his tongue out at me. I laugh. "Do whatever you need to do, Sasuke. I really am okay."

"As long as you're sure." He says and then we turn our attention to the front of the class where Iruka-sensei has called the class to order.

* * *

As I exit the dojo I roll my shoulders...even though I'm exhausted, I still feel good. Though I feel like something is wrong. I hear a weird sound…almost like water splashing against a wall, but it's not water. It's too thick. We're being attacked. This is it. I run back to the dojo and grab a couple of kunai from their place on the shelf before I head back down the hall, trying to pull in my chakra so that whoever it is doesn't sense me. Think like a bug…small and unnoticeable.

"Minako." My cousin, Takada, says as he walks up and crouches in front of me. "I am going to help you get out of here. Once you are out, run and get the Hokage." He hauls me onto his back. "Do not look around. Tuck your head and close your eyes."

"Is Sasuke okay?" My voice is a whisper. I'm terrified. I was supposed to be able to stop this. I'm nowhere near ready to stop this.

"Sasuke isn't here." He says and that's a relief. "Now be absolutely silent. Okay?" I nod before I tuck my head. He moves noiselessly through the house and pauses briefly before we're outside. We're moving towards the exit to the compound when I hear the sound of a kunai flying. Takada deflects it. "Okay. This is how it's going to go." Determination. "I'll hold him off as long as I can. Run as fast as your legs can carry you, Minako." I nod, sliding off of his back. I see bodies around us…they're all dead. "Be brave." Around him I see Itachi…standing with his tanto drawn. Is he the one who has done this? But he's supposed to protect our family… I turn and run, but my bare feet slip in a puddle of blood and I fall. I'm covered, but I get up and start running. I push my legs as fast as they can carry me. I'm not going to be able to sustain this. Then the Nara compound comes into view. Another big clan. Mr. Nara is an important person. I run to the front door of the main house and I knock. After a minute I knock again. Shikamaru's father answers the door, looking tired but as he takes in my appearance his eyes are alert.

"They're dead. They're all dead." I say, trying to keep my composure. What I said wasn't helpful at all. "S-sasuke's not home. But I saw Itachi…h-he…it was him." Tears are starting to fall now. "Takada told me to get the Hokage, but I can't run anymore. So…I came here."

"You did the right thing." He says and I nod deftly. "My wife Yoshino is going to help you get cleaned up now. You are safe here."

"Okay." I say and then he brings me inside. Yoshino looks shocked as she takes in my appearance and she immediately goes into mother mode and she leads me away to a bathroom where she runs a bath. "Thank you for taking me in right now." My voice is shaking.

"Think nothing of it." She says warmly. "I'm going to help you out of these clothes now, and I'll have something for you to wear when you are all cleaned up. Alright?"

"Yes ma'am." I say, allowing her to help me. Once those clothes are taken away I get into the bath. She leaves to get clothes for me. I scrub my skin until it's red…but an acceptable red. My hair is clean too. So I get out and let the water out before I dry myself with the towel and wrap it around my body. I sit on the edge of the tub and wait. Yoshino knocks. "Come in." The door opens and she comes back in with clothes.

"We'll brush your hair and then we'll have a cup of tea together." She says and I nod, accepting the clothes from her. "Just leave the towel and I'll take care of everything." I nod again and she leaves to let me get dressed. I do as I'm told and open the door she's just walking back up. "Follow me."

"Yes ma'am." I say softly before I follow her. She leads the way to her room where she gestures for me to sit in the chair in front of a vanity. She begins to gently brush my hair.

"You have very good manners, Minako." She says kindly and I try to muster a smile, but I can't. I'm shaking. "And you're a brave girl."

"I don't feel very brave." I say and for a moment I see tears in her eyes. "I'm sorry for…" She stops me.

"Don't be sorry." She says and I nod. She finishes brushing my hair. "Now, let's have a cup of tea together."

"Yes ma'am." I say hopping off of the chair and following her again. I freeze as I see Shikamaru…rubbing sleep from his eyes.

"Mom, what's going on? Why's Minako here?" He asks and my mouth falls open. How do I explain something like this?

"Something has happened and Minako will be here for a little while. Go back to bed." She says, a bit harsher than she's been with me and he stares at me. I feel the tears welling up in my eyes again.

"Can I stay up?" He asks, not taking his eyes off of me. She sighs. "Mom. I need to stay up."

"Okay." She says finally….her tone softer. The three of us move to their dining room. She has me sit down while she and Shikamaru move to the adjoined kitchen and make the tea. "We don't know exactly what has happened, but there has been a great loss of life in the Uchiha compound." She explains in a very hushed voice. She underestimates my hearing abilities. I hear a familiar voice then. I look up before I hop off of the chair and run. "Minako!" Yoshino is shocked I tear open the door and see my brother running down the road.

"Minako!" He screams, a sobbing mess. I run over and catch him as he falls. "They're all gone! Dead! Mother and Father!" He's hysterical.

"Sasuke." I say, my voice firm. "Sasuke, calm down. Right now." He's whimpering now. "We're okay…we're a family. You and I." I stroke his hair. "Come on." I pull him up with me as I stand and walk towards Yoshino who had ran after me. Shikamaru is standing at the door…confused. "We're going to be okay." I say, commanding my voice to be firm instead of shaky. "No matter what happens...I am your sister. I am alive and so are you." We're finally to Yoshino. "This is Shikamaru's mom…her name is Yoshino. Don't be rude, greet her."

"Hello Mrs. Nara." He obeys my orders, still clinging to me. "Thank you for your hospitality."

"Think nothing of it." She says again…seeming at a loss for what to say. "Come inside and the five of us will have tea."

"Yes ma'am." He says and I am again leading the two of us inside. We're in the dining room again. He sits down, but he's still shaking. I take a seat beside him and hold his hand. "How did you…"

"Takada protected me." I say and he nods. "Then I came here. I've been so worried about you."

"I'm sorry. I should have gone home with you after school…maybe I could have…" He starts and I shake my head. "Mina…"

"Sasuke." I say firmly. "A shinobi must face crisis with grace and composure. We will need to answer questions once things calm down a bit and so we need to remain calm. Can you do that for me?" He nods. "Good. Focus on what we have left. Each other." I bring his hand to my cheek. "See? I'm real. I'm alive."

"I'm scared." He says and I nod closing my hand around his again in a comforting motion.

"I'd be worried that you're crazy if you weren't." I say, adopting my usual way of joking to ease tension.

"Here we are." Yoshino says as she sets the tray down on the table. She gives the two of us tea before she and Shikamaru take theirs, sitting on the other side of the table across from us. Nobody knows what to say. We're all just quietly drinking our tea. After a while Shikaku returns, the Hokage is with him. "Lord Hokage, would you like a cup of tea?"

"No thank you." The man says and she nods, making Shikamaru stand up before she leads him from the room. "Sasuke and Minako."

"Lord Hokage." I say, bowing my head in respect. In that move I have established myself as the more stable of the two of us.

"We have a few questions to ask you if you are well enough to answer them." He says and I glance at Sasuke.

"We will answer any questions to the best of our ability, won't we Sasuke?" I look to my brother full on and he nods.

"Do you know who the attacker was?" The Hokage asks, wasting no time in jumping right in to the deep ones.

"Yes. As my cousin Takada was trying to help me escape from the compound, my older brother Itachi intercepted us." I say, my voice calm. "Takada seemed to identify him as the threat and so I can only assume…"

"Yes…it was Itachi." Sasuke says, his voice shaking. I squeeze his hand, offering him my strength.

"And you are sure?" He asks and we both nod. "You don't think that there is a chance that this individual was using a transformation?"

"No sir…if he had wanted to kill all of the Uchiha then he would not have left Sasuke and I alive. If he wanted me dead, I would be dead." I say and I see something in his ancient eyes. There's also something about Shikaku.

"I agree with Minako." Sasuke says softly, squeezing my hand almost painfully. Anger. "It was definitely our brother."

"Thank you. That is all that I needed to ask you for now. Shikaku has offered to let you stay here until more permanent arrangements can be made." He says and I nod.

"Thank you, Sir." I say, bowing my head in respect. I just have to keep it together until Sasuke is asleep. I can do this.

"I am sorry that the two of you have faced such a tragedy at such a young age. We will do all that we can." The Hokage says and I nod. "Good night." He leaves then. Yoshino comes back in.

"I have some pajamas that you can change into, Sasuke." She says and he doesn't respond. I gently elbow him.

"Thank you." He says, but I can tell that he's shutting down. I look at her and she smiles, looking very motherly. She must be able to read my meaning.

"Now we should get ready for bed. You'll be grumpy if you don't get some sleep." I say, still trying to ease the tension. I know that it's impossible to do that though. Shikaku leads Sasuke away.

"Come with me." Yoshino says and I nod, following behind her. She leads the way to a room.

"Sasuke won't be able to sleep alone…" I say and she nods her understanding. I say that he won't…but really it's more like I won't be able to.

* * *

As Sasuke and I enter the classroom, everyone acts normally…everyone knows of course…but thankfully nobody is saying anything. We move to our usual seats and get our notebooks out to take notes. We don't answer any questions…but we pay attention and finally after what seems like a million years, it is lunch time. Sasuke and I head outside with everyone else. I need to make sure that he stay social. Otherwise he'll end up bitter. I lead the way over to where Shikamaru and the others are.

"Hey boys, do you mind if we sit here today?" I ask and they look between each other before they shrug. I smile, sitting down on the ground next to Sasuke. I take out our bentos that I made this morning and give his to him. "So what did we miss while we were gone?"

"Not too much…it was mostly review." Choji says and I offer a bright smile to him. Thank you so much for not making a big deal.

"Thank goodness. It would stink if we had to do a lot of makeup homework." I say, still being bubbly.

"You know you don't have to do that crap, right?" Kiba says and I stick my tongue out at him. "You guys wanna play ninja with us after school?"

"Of course. I'd hate for you to think that I couldn't still kick your butt." I say and he looks indignant. I laugh, covering my mouth with my hand.

"Do you want somethin' to drink, Minako!?" Naruto asks, successfully scaring me. Sasuke glares at him. "Come on guys! Let's all go get something! But I've got Minako's!" He leads the charge. I push Sasuke in that direction. He goes without incident. Shikamaru stays.

"I know you don't want to talk about it right now." He says and I don't respond. "But I know that you're pushing your feelings back for his sake. So I just wanted to say…that if you ever do want to talk I'll listen. I don't have to say anything. I just know that…that night I'd never seen someone change their behavior as quickly as you did when Sasuke got there." I look at him.

"Thanks." I say…no one has really addressed that. "I'll keep that in mind." Part of me hates that he saw me so weak. "I'm sorry that you had to see that."

"Shut up." He says with a roll of his eyes. "You were in danger, I'm glad that my parents were able to make you safe." That throws a wrench into the works of me staying composed.

"We're pushing on walls that I'd rather keep up right now." I say and he looks a little shocked. "I appreciate everything your family has done…but right now I need to work on keeping my family together."

"Alright. Sorry." He says, backing off easily which I appreciate. I offer a small smile. We fall into a comfortable silence until everyone comes back. Sasuke is visibly relieved when he is back at my side. Naruto hands me my drink. "Thank you so much." I smile brightly.

"No problem!" He says with a big grin. I can do this…I just have to make sure that I keep Sasuke and I going and I have to keep him from leaving. That happened and I know that I can't stand to lose him too.

I pant as I stand across the training ring from Sasuke. At the ripe age of eleven, I am already more muscular than my fellow kunoichi classmates who are more concerned with their looks….except for Hinata. She would be a very tough adversary. Today the Hokage is observing our taijutsu training and of course no one will say anything, but he wanted to see the Uchiha twins up against one another. To compare us. Sasuke is clearly bigger than me which serves to be a problem. A problem which I am ready to overcome. I fall into a stance, my face set in stony concentration. He looks bored which makes me angry, but he runs at me none the less. I block his strike and grab his arm forcefully. I flip him over my shoulder and slam him into the ground as hard as I possibly can. That brings shock to his eyes. I bring my foot down and he rolls to the side, getting up and taking me seriously. I'm coming at him with my full strength. I will not be underestimated. He throws a punch and I turn my face to the side to avoid it. I drop and sweep his feet. I move quickly as he falls and I subdue him.

"Alright, we will call the match with a win for Minako. Great job, you two." Iruka-sensei says and I smile to my brother as I offer the seal of reconciliation. He meets me easily and I help him up. "Next up, I'd like to have Ino and Hinata."

"You really went hard today, huh?" Sasuke asks as he rubs his arm. I smile apologetically. "Since when can you throw me?"

"Since…a few minutes ago?" I ask with a slight laugh. "I don't know, I've been working really hard because I know that when we graduate I'll be facing guys a lot bigger than you or anyone else that I've fought before."

"I'm not sure whether I should be afraid of you or attracted to you." Kiba says and I laugh so hard I actually snort.

"I'd be afraid…because I come with an overprotective twin brother." I say, throwing an arm around Sasuke's shoulders. "Well that and everyone knows Shikamaru's secretly in love with me, so…"

"Don't be so annoying." Shikamaru says and I can feel the roll of his eyes. "Who is their right mind would do that?"

"I've heard that love makes you crazy." I say and Sasuke looks annoyed. "Oh come on, I'm joking." Hinata decimates Ino very shyly…it's super adorable.

"Very good, girls. Now Naruto and Junichi, you're up next." Iruka-sensei says and Junichi walks towards the ring, but there's no Naruto. "Naruto?" He looks around. "Alright, since you were the last two…is there anyone who would like to volunteer to spar with Junichi?"

"I'll do it, Iruka-sensei." I say as I raise my hand. He nods, jotting it down on his clipboard. I move to stand in the ring, across from Junichi. I smile.

"Iruka-sensei, I don't want to fight a girl." The boy says and my smile drops into a scowl. Sensei looks nervous at my change in disposition.

"Don't worry, by the end you'll feel like you're the girl who is fighting." I say and he blanches.

"Alright you two….begin." Sensei says and I'm immediately on him like white on rice. He's got the strength, but I've got the speed. I knock him down and aim a kick. He rolls away and there is a dent in the ground where he would have been. He gets a good hit in that makes me stumble. He takes advantage of that and tackles me. I bring my knees to my chest and kick him off.

"Come on, Spaghetti Arms! Hit me!" Junichi says and I can't help but laugh as I come back at him.

"Spaghetti Arms?" I ask, accidentally whipping him in the face with my hair when I draw back away from his punch. I go to punch with my right hand and he moves to block it, but I quickly switch and punch with my left. The force knocks him out of the ring. The girls in the class all cheer for me. "And I did that without focusing chakra into my muscles to enhance my strength. Before you make stupid, sexist comments why don't you think about the fact that there are kunoichi out there that could crush your head with their fingers?" I feel good when I walk back over to my brother.

"You could've gone easier on him, Mina." Sasuke says and I shrug. I look over and the Hokage looks very amused. "What's for dinner tonight?"

"I'm making something we've never had before. I'm pretty excited about it." I say with a bright smile. "We need to stop by the market on our way home."

"Okay." He says with a nod. I faintly hear a bunch of male voices talking about something cute. Sasuke looks annoyed.

"You know that when she talks about cooking that makes them antsy." Shikamaru says and I raise an eyebrow. "Oh man, you really didn't know about your fan club?"

"Why the heck would I have a fan club? You're the one who just said that no one in their right mind would be in love with me." I say and he smirks.

"They're NOT in their right minds." He says and I shake my head. I don't really think that there is one.

"Okay, class! You're dismissed for today! Great job with your matches." Iruka-sensei says and everyone starts to disperse. "Minako, can we speak to you for a moment?"

"Of course." I say and then I look to Sasuke. "I'll be right back." I walk over to the two men and bow respectfully to the Hokage. "Is everything alright, Sensei?"

"Yes…Lord Hokage and I were talking and we would like to offer you the chance to graduate early." He says and my heart drops into the pit of my stomach. "As your teacher, I feel like you are ready."

"Also you display an advanced comprehension of the techniques that you exhibited today." The Hokage says and I nod.

"I'm honored that you believe I am ready for such a thing…but I don't think that I'm ready for that kind of thing. Even accepting D-rank missions…I don't know anybody in that class and so I think that it would be a bad idea for me to be grouped with them." I say and the Hokage regards me quietly.

"And you are sure that this is what you want?" He asks me after a moment and I nod, folding my hands behind my back. "Then we will honor your wishes."

"Thank you." I say, bowing again. My anxiety levels creep back down to normal. "Am I dismissed?"

"Yes, and great work today." Iruka-sensei says and I smile before I jog back over to Sasuke who is standing with Shikamaru. I throw and arm around each of their shoulders and swing forward. They both stumble. I snicker.

"Sorry, I thought you guys were training to be ninja." I say as I let them go and keep walking.

"You're so annoying." Shikamaru groans and I look over my shoulder, smirking at him. "What?"

"If I'm so annoying, then why were you waiting for me?" I ask and Choji laughs, because I'm right.

"Don't be such a drag." He says, the vein in his forehead popping out. He shoves his hands into his pockets and the four of us start walking. "What was the deal with you whipping Junichi in the face with your hair?" I could say it was an accident…

"Speaking in very general terms, physically kunoichi are smaller than shinobi and so we must fine tune our skills as much as possible to give us the best chance of success. I have grown my hair long as a means of using it as a weapon in the instance where I have no kunai or shuriken." I say in a superior tone. "Not only is it good for a momentary distraction, I could strangle someone with it."

"That's a load of crap. You only grew your hair out because you said that you looked too much like me." Sasuke says and I glare at him. "Don't pretend to be so cool."

"I'll stop when you do." I say and Choji puts a hand over his mouth to try and contain his laughter. "But what I said is true. I could strangle someone with my hair." I pull it all over one shoulder and pet it.

"As much fun as this is, I've got to get home." Choji says and I smile and wave before he heads off towards his family's home. Shikamaru stays with us. This would be my dream team next year, but I know that Shikamaru will be put with Ino and Choji. Sasuke will be with Naruto and Sakura. I'm sad that I won't be able to be placed with anyone who I'm close with seeing as though they all have logical team compositions. With how broad my skill set is, there's no telling who they'll stick me with.

"What are you thinking about?" Sasuke asks, recognizing my internal monologue face. I smile.

"Annoying ways to wake you up tomorrow morning for our Friday training date." I say and he groans. I snicker.

* * *

I stand in the middle of the field in between my two teammates, Junichi Kurosaki and Izanagi Nakamura. Our task to decide whether or not we are worthy of being genin is to get the bells from our sensei…Kenta Miyamoto. Junichi and Izanagi are currently bickering…ready to fight each other. We've been here for about fifteen minutes now.

"Alright! Shut up the both of you and listen to me!" I shout and they fall silent. "We need to work together to get those bells and since you two idiots can't stop arguing long enough to see who should take the lead I'll do it!" Kenta-sensei chuckles from across the field. "Now let's move!"

"Yes ma'am!" They both exclaim together and we run at our sensei, with me in the middle. I quickly work through the seals and exhale a large fireball. Kenta-sensei backflips to avoid it. Junichi throws wave after wave of kunai while Izanagi quickly gets around behind him.

"Fire style! Phoenix flower jutsu!" I use Sasuke's trick of concealing shuriken in the fire balls. As Sensei blocks both my attacks and Junichi's, Izanagi grabs all of the bells. The three of us convene, ready to defend if that is an unspoken part of the test. Kenta-sensei looks at us, stroking his chin thoughtfully.

"Alright…I think I've got you figured out now." He says and Junichi and Izanagi stand up straight from their defensive stances. I stay in mine. "I'm not going to attack."

"A shinobi must see through deception. You're not the type to give up easily even if we are dumb kids straight out of the Academy." I say and my team mates fall back into their stances. The bells disappear in a puff of smoke. Sensei attacks. He comes straight for me. I prepare for the impact, but Junichi gets in there and engages him. I back flip away and nod to Izanagi who moves around the back. Let's try genjutsu. I stoop down to one knee and start working through the seals, focus. Sensei retreats a bit and looks around. He's seeing hundreds of us. I catch movement and go to draw my tanto, but I realize it's just another team with their sensei observing us. Kenta-sensei releases the genjutsu and comes for me again, but this time Izanagi intercepts. It is time for my tanto. I draw the weapon and rush forward to engage. "Junichi! Give me a lift!" He looks at me as I'm running at him and he cups his hands. I step into his hands and jump as he lifts me off. I bring my blade down right where Sensei's hand was before as he was about to hit Izanagi.

"I should have had that third cup of coffee this morning, I guess." He says and I smile. "But, you're going to have to work a little harder than that to get these bells."

"Well you're in luck. An Uchiha never quits and I would never turn my back on my team mates." I say and something flashes in his eyes. I swing my blade in a wide arc and he jumps back, preparing to use a jutsu. "Don't let him finish!" Junichi rushes him, interrupting his seals. In a flash, Sensei is behind me, holding a kunai to my throat. I raise my eyebrows, not afraid even as the blade cuts my skin a little. Junichi and Izanagi are ready to panic. I make eye contact with the both of them and the fear disappears from their eyes and determination falls into place. "Plan forty-two!" They don't question it, but Junichi swiftly moves to us and grabs Sensei's arm. I jab with my elbow and duck away, but I don't move too far away. I strike, aiming for pressure points. Junichi gets knocked down, so I move over to defend him while he recovers. Izanagi is on his other side, being just as much of a nuisance as I am. At one point I take an elbow to the forehead, which honestly does make me dizzy. As I'm falling backwards I see the glint of the sun against the silver bells. I reach out and grab them. Black stars are dancing across my vision. I throw my weight and flip backwards, landing in a kneeling position. I form a hand seal for that extra focus of my chakra and move some to that point to dull the pain. I immediately feel better. Thank you medical ninjutsu training. Kenta-sensei then realizes that something is missing. I smirk, holding up the bells.

"Are we done, Sensei? Because honestly it's gotta be a little embarrassing for you." Izanagi says and I snicker.

"Alright, you got them fair and square." He says and I regard him for a moment before I nod. Izanagi and Junichi relax.

"Looks like you hardly have a job, Kenta." Someone calls from across the field. While they talk, I figure I can take a minute to recover. I sit down and rest my elbows on my knees, resting my head in my hands.

"Minako…you're bleeding." Izanagi says, sitting down beside me. "Ah…I don't have any medical supplies." I reach into the pouch on the right side at my lower back and remove the small medical kit. He opens it up and gets out one of the sanitary wipes to clean the wound.

"You okay?" Junichi asks as he crouches beside the two of us. It's amazing how much those two changed in that encounter.

"Yeah, I caught someone's elbow with my forehead." I say lightly. "It's okay, though. My brother does always say that I'm hard-headed." I hear him scream and my muscles tense to run to his aid, but then I remember that he is also with his sensei. Everything is okay.

"Sounds like Kakashi is giving them a hard time." Kenta-sensei says, looking over. I sigh as I stand up, feeling better already. I see Shikamaru…this must be his sensei. That's the Hokage's son. "He's never passed any of his students before, has he?" My blood runs like ice through my veins. What? But Sasuke has to be a genin…if he doesn't get stronger then he will most definitely leave to search out someone who will make him stronger.

"He hasn't, but it seems like there's a good crop of students this go around. Your brother's on that team, right?" The other sensei asks, looking at me.

"Indeed he is…though he has a history of not playing well with others." I say, and that only makes me more worried. He's probably trying to pass the test all on his own.

"Yeah, Minako's the only person Sasuke actually likes." Junichi says and I offer a fair enough look.

"I have a theory that it's a self-centered thing since I'm him only in girl form." I say and that gets some laughs. "Though last night before bed I held him in a headlock for like five minutes screaming at him not to be a dick." Junichi finds that really funny. "I would've held him longer but his strength outlasts mine unfortunately….well that and he's heavy."

"Sometimes I'm not sure if I believe you." Shikamaru says and I raise my eyebrows at him. "But then I remember that you ARE crazy."

"Now now, Shikamaru. Minako isn't crazy, she's scrappy." Ino says and I snicker. I can't even deny it. "And she's related to a genius, so she has good genes."

"That depends on your definition of genius. He can barely boil water without nearly destroying our apartment." I say dryly.

"I have an idea." Kenta-sensei says. "Let's see how well our genin can take orders, Asuma. I know you're heading an intelligence unit…but…"

"Alright, Kenta. I see what you're playing at." Asuma-sensei says, taking the challenge. "What do you three think?"

"I-I don't know, Sensei." Choji says and I smile, trying to be reassuring. I'd never hurt Choji. Though I would love to take a crack at Shikamaru.

"Bring it on! We'll totally destroy them!" Ino proclaims and my smile turns into a grin. I've always liked Ino aside from her strange obsession with my brother.

"That's the spirit!" Kenta-sensei says brightly. Shikamaru sighs, no doubt wishing that he'd skipped out when he could have. "Team Kenta! Take your places!"

"Hold on a second…I think we should make this interesting." A woman says as she walks up. Behind her are Kiba, Shino, and Hinata. "How about the twelve of us all spar?"

"Wait!? You mean we're going to go up against two other jonin!?" Kiba exclaims, eyes bugging out of his head.

"You scared, Kiba?" I ask in a patronizing tone. That ignites the fire in his eyes. I have a knack for doing that…

"My team is game." Kenta-sensei says. "These boys would follow Minako off of the ends of the Earth and it's not in the same pathetic way I've observed some of her other classmates acting."

"Prepare yourselves! We're going to kick your butts!" Ino exclaims, pointing. "Even you, Minako! I've been training super hard since the last time you and I sparred!"

"I'm looking forward to it!" I say brightly. I've always been one for encouraging my classmates.

"If everyone is set then…I guess we'll begin." Kurenai says and then somebody throws a smoke bomb. A three way battle between teams is always going to be a bit hectic. I see a shadow snaking across the ground.

"Watch it! Nara's using shadow possession!" I exclaim and my team immediately backs out of range.

"Good eyes, Minako." Kenta-sensei says and then he rolls his shoulders. "I'm going to leave you to lead the boys, alright? I'm going to face my old rival, Sarutobi." I nod. "Here we go!" And he's off. I observe the situation. Shikamaru is currently fending off Kiba. Shino is kicking Choji's butt and Ino and Hinata are locked in combat.

"If there's anything I've learned in life, it's to be annoying. So let's raise hell, boys." I say, popping my knuckles. Izanagi is the weakest of the three of us…. "Izanagi, you think you're fast enough to take Shino out before his beetles drain your chakra?"

"Yes." He says, determination filling his tone. "So what's our game plan, Fearless Leader?"

"Izanagi, you take Shino and Choji. Junichi, go take on Ino and Hinata. Watch out for her family's technique." I say and they nod. "Let's go!" I shout. Ino and Hinata are close to Kiba and Shikamaru. "Junichi! Give me a boost!" He stops, cupping his hands and I jump as he lifts me upwards. I kick Kiba square in the back and he slides across the ground and doesn't get back up. He's okay enough, though.

"Man…what a drag. You were the last person I wanted to face." Shikamaru says, hands in his pockets. I hear a scream and it's Sasuke's. Don't break your focus. "I'm not going to take advantage of that."

"How honorable." I say, attacking him. "That's not going to get you out of the fight, though."

"Of course not." He says dryly, blocking my punch. "I guess I'm really going to have to try with you."

"You're my best friend, I wouldn't forgive you if you went easy on me." I say and his cheeks briefly turn pink before he throws a punch that gets past my defenses. I taste blood. "Asshole, you split my lip."

"Didn't mean to. Maybe you're just too slow." He says and my eye twitches. I stop abruptly and change directions. He was still following me though. He runs into the tree and I throw a punch. The wood splinters where I punch…his face had been there a moment ago. "Hey, take it easy."

"When have I ever made things easy?" I ask with a smirk. I hear someone yell my name. Izanagi is in trouble. "Switch!" I immediately disengage. "Watch the shadows!" I advise as Izanagi runs past me to keep Shikamaru busy.

"Alright! And you watch out for the beetles!" He says and I nod. As Shino meets me I spin into a kick which he blocks with his forearm. A cloud of beetles flies out of his sleeve.

"Fire style! Great fireball jutsu!" I hold the half tiger seal to my lips and launch the fireball at them.

"Excellent form, Minako!" Kenta-sensei compliments from his own fight with the other two sensei. I glance around and see Ino and Hinata are down.

"Why don't you go help Sensei? He looks like he needs it." Junichi says, taking out a kunai.

"Good idea. Do not stop moving." I say and then I'm running over to help my sensei. "Two against one and a quarter?"

"Maybe One and a half." Kenta-sensei says and I feel a little embarrassed at the compliment. But I don't let that last for long. These two are serious. "You alright? You're bleeding." He asks as he fights.

"What's a little blood amongst friends?" I ask as I duck a kick from Kurenai-sensei. She steps back and works through some hand seals. I recognize it. I kick to disrupt her seals. She grabs my foot and throws me. I land on my feet, but still slide back. She goes to attack Kenta-sensei. "Sensei!" I quickly work through the seals and her body freezes. "Holy shit, I actually did it." I gasp, putting a hand over my mouth. Paralysis genjutsu. My chakra is quickly depleting. "Crap!" I release the paralysis genjutsu. I'm battling time now. Junichi is down. Shino is running at me. Time for brute force. I stop and plant my feet. He arrives and throws a punch, I duck and punch him as hard as I can in the stomach with chakra focused into my fist. He flies back and lands on the ground. He doesn't get up.

"Minako!" Izanagi shouts and I look around. A shadow is lashing out towards me. I dart away from it, but make a wide arc to assist Izanagi. "That was really cool what you just did! He's like a foot taller than you!"

"That's an exaggeration." I say dryly as I leap up into a tree briefly to give me some force as I launch myself towards Shikamaru. I tackle him and we slide across the ground. All the way over to the sensei who have ceased their own little spar. He's struggling and I'm fighting to keep him held down. "I told you not to shirk on your strength training. This is embarrassing."

"It won't happen again." He says, not giving up. That's a major way in which he is different with me. My knee slips from where I'm pinning his leg and that gives him the leverage he needs to flip me over. He's holding me down by the shoulders.

"Oh no! I won't lose to you!" I shout and then I do something I've never done before, I head butt him. I shove him off of me and quickly draw my tanto. He is subdued. Everyone is starting to get up now.

"A….technically honest victory for Team Kenta." Kurenai-sensei says, sounding extremely amused. "Tell me, Minako…are you a genjutsu type?"

"Well…I haven't exactly decided what I want to do yet." I say as I release Shikamaru. "I mean obviously down the road I'd probably be good at that…but I'm not sure."

"We have plenty of time, my pupil." Kenta-sensei says, patting me on the head. "One thing I am sure of…I'm going to teach you how to properly head butt someone."

"It's not something I ever planned on doing. I may have gotten a bit overzealous." I say lightly.

"I just can't believe I lasted through the whole thing." Izanagi says and I smile as I go over and throw an arm around his shoulders.

"You did good. It's not easy to play Distract the Nara." I say and he high fives me. Junichi walks over to us then. Everyone is back in their teams…discussing what went wrong. Ino is screaming at Choji and Shikamaru more than anything. I know that Shikamaru could lead them…he's really smart when he applies himself. The Nara are famous for their intellect.

"So what are you leaning towards, Minako?" Junichi asks and I look up at him and shrug. "There's this girl who's a year older than us…she works with weapons a lot. I could see you doing something like that, with your tanto and all."

"Nah, I use this ironically." I say as I draw it. "It was my brother's." This is the blade that took the lives of my parents…and of many Uchiha. "I figure if I ever run into him some day, if he's even still alive, it'd be funny to defeat him with it." I tuck it away. "But I don't anticipate that happening ever. Sasuke says that subconsciously I plan on specializing in being a bad ass…and who am I to argue?"

"Oh wow." Junichi says with a roll of his eyes. I laugh. "I can't imagine your brother saying something like that."

"Yeah, he's a pretty big asshole. However, he is at my mercy as he cannot cook for the life of him." I say with an evil little smile. "If he pisses me off I just make his food really really hot."

"Evil." Izanagi says as he shakes his head. "But I like it. You know, I think I can see the three of us becoming great friends."

"I think so too." I say with a smile. I'm a likable person…I can come off as a bit abrasive, but that's only because of my constant terror at the thought of what is coming. I hadn't been able to change anything about the Uchiha massacre….I'd been a helpless child who couldn't even run to get help. I could have saved Takada. It was after that night that I decided…never again would I be helpless. I am going to save lives.


	2. The Life of a Shinobi

**Welcome to chapter two! At this point we're still trying to get to know our heroine...so hopefully this chapter does a good job in giving you a sense in what Minako is all about! I've grown quite attached to her in the time I've spent writing this (about a year now). So why not let me know what you think of her so far? As always, I love constructive criticism.**

Kenta-sensei really likes training with other teams. It makes sense…when we're older we will be sent on missions with people outside of our initial squads and so we need to be able to work with others. If I had to peg anyone as my sensei's best friend…I'd say it was Asuma-sensei. Kenta-sensei may say that they are rivals, but I think he is being a bit extreme. We're taking a break right now…we've been at it for two hours, non-stop.

"Minako…anytime I spar you….you get this weird look in your eyes." Ino says and I look at her, tilting my head to the side. "Like you're remembering something."

"Ah…yes." I say, hugging my knees to my chest. "When I fight, I remember a time when I was completely helpless…Specifically…I remember the night my family died…How my cousin told me to run away and that he would hold him off. I had two kunai…I knew the fireball jutsu….I feel like I should have stayed and tried to help him. Obviously it was stupid, I was seven years old." I laugh without any humor behind it. "I remember looking into Itachi's eyes and being breathless from my fear. So I did as I was told for once in my life and I ran. That night I decided that I wasn't going to be weak anymore. I swore to myself that I would never be helpless again." I look up and see that everyone, the sensei included, is staring at me. "And so I train every single day until I can't move and think of that and THAT is exactly where the famous Minako Uchiha 'never give up' attitude came from. I no longer believe in no-win situations."

"So in short…you're the most formidable opponent to face because you have everything and nothing to lose." Shikamaru says and I shrug.

"I have a lot more to lose now than I did before…and I'm a joke compared to some shinobi, but I'm working on it." I say and then I take a drink of water.

"She's teaching herself medical ninjutsu." Izanagi says and I throw a shuriken in the tree by his head.

"That's supposed to be a secret!" I exclaim, my cheeks red in embarrassment. I didn't want anyone to know….he found out on accident.

"That's so cool!" Ino exclaims. "So what exactly are you learning it for? I mean obviously it's super useful, but…why do you want to?"

"Well, my brother is a moron with certain goals that I do not support at all. He is also just as stubborn as I am and so I figure I may as well learn how to patch him up when he screws up…which he will." I say and then I sigh. "And it makes me a little less anxious in the field. Any time you can cut down on treating someone increases the probability of success for the mission. I think that every squad should have a medical nin."

"It's a shame that they take so long to train." Kenta-sensei says wistfully. "But I'm proud of you for taking the initiative to learn it on your own. Just be careful with it, alright?"

"Yes, Sensei." I say with a nod. "If I ever develop the Sharingan, it'll go a lot faster. Then maybe I can talk Lord Hokage into starting up a training program."

"I think that's an excellent goal." He says with a big smile. "Alright, you ready for your next match?"

"Indeed I am. Shikamaru, get ready to have your ass handed to you." I say with a smirk towards my best friend.

"I've been training too, you know." He says and I shrug as I move across the field and take up my stance.

"Begin." Asuma-sensei says and I prepare to take Shikamaru head on, but then I get an immense pain in my chest. I fall to my knees at the pain. I feel pinpricks in my arms and legs and neck. My heart rate speeds up considerably before it just stops and returns to normal. Shikamaru is staring at me. I've felt something like this before, but the pain is gone now. It's not like the time Sasuke broke his arm. The immense pain when he fell while training and stabbed himself with a kunai. This is different.

"S-sauske." I say, my voice quiet. My heart is pounding now…my stomach filled with the same sickness I felt when I saw the bodies of my family. "N-no. He can't be…he can't be dead. He can't leave me." My hands cover my mouth.

"Minako, what is going on? Are you hurt?" Kenta-sensei is making me look at him now. As tears flow from my eyes I try to speak but I can't, a strangled scream escapes from my chest. My sensei makes me rest my head against his shoulder and he holds onto me. Probably because of my somewhat violent demeanor right now. I'm fighting against him. I have to go…but where the hell am I even going to go? "I'm going to go and see if the Hokage's received any word." Slender arms replace my sensei. I see blonde hair. Ino.

"I don't want to be alone, Ino." I cry, clinging to my friend. "I can't…Sasuke. He can't be dead. He can't be dead." I feel tears on my neck.

"It'll be okay." She says in a shaking voice. "You're not going to be alone. I won't let you be. I promise. Have I ever broken a promise to you?" I need to turn off my hysterics. "Tell her, guys."

"Mina?" Shikamaru asks and I look at him, letting my arms fall from around Ino. She let's go of me. He looks lost…like he did that night. The night where he insisted on staying up with me. The tears are falling down my face again. He drops to his knees at my side and he pulls me into his arms. "You're safe." That stops my crying. "We're not going to let anything happen to you…so it's okay." Everyone is seated around me now. Asuma-sensei walks over with a canteen.

"You should drink something." He says as he holds it out to me. I take it and look at it. The wind blows and I see a bit of powder blow away. I look back at him.

"Sensei…I don't want to sleep." I say, starting to feel like I'm going to cry again. I don't feel safe. What if it had nothing to do with his mission…Itachi found him and he's wanting to finish the job now. We've served whatever purpose he had in letting us live.

"Sometimes it is best to rest in this sort of situation." Asuma-sensei says and I feel a little angry. "You're in shock." I shake my head.

"No…let's just…let's just get back to training. I just want to pretend things are normal right now until we know anything for sure. Who knows…it could be a very serious injury. He and I are…connected. It's weird. Like one time he was off training by himself and he fell on a kunai. It was pretty bad and I felt it, so I went looking for him." He needs me. As independent as he likes to act, he's always needed me. He relies on me to stay calm in super tense situations. Maybe he lost his cool.

"Minako." Shikamaru's voice is firm. "You can't keep doing that." He says and I raise my eyebrows at him.

"Doing what?" I ask, pulling myself up. One foot in front of the other. Two more people are sparring now…I can't really focus on who it is. I know that Asuma-sensei is watching me though.

"I've seen you do this before." He says and I just look at him. "That night. When you found Sasuke. You just shut off your emotions and became a totally different person."

"My dear, I'm a kunoichi. Repress, repress, repress. I'm not the first and I won't be the last. I can't sit on the ground and cry because my brother might be dead." I curse myself as my voice wobbles over the last word. "Shut up." He sighs. Annoyed with me, which isn't something unusual. "I will be okay…it's not like I don't know how to grieve."

"I know that you know how to grieve, but it's a little different when you're not looking out for somebody else." He says and I hate that he's right. I don't have to keep it together for anyone. I don't have to be strong so that someone else isn't upset. "Look…if you want you can probably stay at my house."

"Shikamaru…I know that you're secretly in love with me and all…but don't you think that's a bit sudden?" I ask and the vein in his forehead bulges. "I appreciate it…but…" I look over and see Izanagi and Junichi watching me from a distance. In the past month in a half we've grown very close…I look them like they're my brothers as well. "I don't know. I guess I am in shock right now. And I'm a little sore."

"I can't imagine what that must have felt like." He says and I hum. "It kind of freaked me out…I'd thought about trying some genjutsu and then you just…"

"Silly boy, genjutsu doesn't work like that." I say with a smirk. I take a drink of water. Wait a minute. "Oh shit." The drug is working quickly. Shikamaru takes the canteen from me and puts an arm around my shoulders as I start to slump over. He carefully lowers us to the ground.

* * *

I lay in the bed staring at the wall. This is the same room that I stayed in the night that my family was murdered. Apparently…the Hokage didn't think I should be alone and Shikaku offered me a place in his home. This is the first time I've been here in five years…the first time I've actually seen Shikamaru's parents since then. It was out of embarrassment more than anything. It's something that my father always tried to beat into us…figuratively. You don't show your weakness. That night I showed a lot of weakness. Right now I'm showing even more. I haven't gotten out of bed in two days. Yoshino has brought food, but I haven't eaten. I should probably be a bit more grateful. Yeah…I'm being rude. I sit up and braid my hair over my shoulder before I walk out of the room. Based on chakra, I can tell that Yoshino is the only one in the house right now. Shikamaru is nearby, though. I follow her chakra signature though….to the kitchen. I try to make noise as I approach, so I don't startle her.

"Is there anything I can help you out with?" I ask in a quiet voice. She turns and looks at me, there's no pity in her eyes…which is good. I would hate that.

"Not at the moment…would you like some tea?" She asks and I nod after a moment. "I was about to bring you some lunch, are you hungry?"

"Yes, ma'am." I say, allowing her to lead me to the table. I sit down. She smiles as she goes back to the kitchen. I hear the sounds of her finishing up preparations.

"It's been a while, hasn't it?" She asks as she sets the plate down in front of me as well as the tea cup.

"It's been a very busy five years." I say, almost sheepishly. "I'm sorry….I should be and should have been more grateful."

"Think nothing of it. You motivate my son more than anything and that's all I can ask." She says with a slight laugh.

"He's my best friend…I only want him to be strong enough to survive out there." I say and she hums her agreement. "That…and it's fun."

"I can imagine." She says with a fond smile. "They should be inside soon, for lunch." No sooner than she speaks, Shikamaru and his father enter the dining room. Something lights up in Shikamaru's eyes, but he doesn't say anything.

"Minako." Shikaku greets me and I bow my head in respect. "We've been unable to get any messages to the town where Team Seven was headed."

"And sometimes no news is good news." I say, repeating something that Itachi had told me a thousand times before whenever my favorite cousins would be away for a long time. "I understand. It's just…" My eyebrows draw together. "I don't know."

"And that's alright." He says and I look up at him again. "You can stay here as long as you need to."

"Thank you, sir." I say, bowing my head in respect again. Yoshino brings out the rest of the food and the three of them sit down. Shikamaru sits beside me.

"Kenta-sensei asked me to invite you to the memorial stone whenever you were feeling better." He says and I nod. "Then he said that what he said was a stupid way of saying it because it sounds like you're going to be adding his name, so he asked me to ask you for forgiveness…your sensei is a strange man."

"Who curses like a sailor." I agree with a nod. "He's a great man though…I'm glad he's my sensei." I wish it had been able to be how I envisioned it though….me, Sasuke, and Shikamaru. Maybe this wouldn't have happened. I begin eating. I take it easy since it's been a couple of days…I don't want to make myself sick.

"Asuma-sensei's crazy enough to think that my team's ready for the chunin exams." Shikamaru says and I smile.

"Of course you're ready. You're the smartest guy I know…and I do know quite a few people, mind you." I say and he shrugs. "Ah, it's a lazy thing."

"Yeah, yeah. Has Kenta-sensei said anything to you guys about it?" He asks and I see that Shikaku is watching me.

"Yes…he has the utmost confidence that I can get the boys through it." I say and I see Shikamaru smile a little. "I'd be lying and stupid if I said I wasn't more than a little nervous."

"Smart girl." Shikaku says and Yoshino smiles in agreement. "From what I've seen of your mission reports, your team has the tendencies of a squad ready for promotion."

"It's 'cause Izanagi and Junichi are afraid of her. She yelled at them on the first day when they all met." Shikamaru says and I frown.

"Look, it's because they stood around bickering for fifteen minutes about who should take the lead and so I did what I had to. There can be something very intimidating about a little girl with sharp knives." I say and Shikaku chuckles.

"I have many stories that could back that up." He says and I smile. "And I'll bet that you don't have problems from them anymore."

"Not a single one." I say with a smile. "I deal with them how I deal with my brother…sometimes you've got to be a little abusive."

"I'm not sure what's scarier. The thought of being a brother to you or the fact that you remind me of my Aunt Sachiko." Shikamaru says and Yoshino chuckles. "You want to train after lunch?" Both Shikaku and Yoshino choke on their tea.

"Be still my beating heart!" I exclaim and he glowers at me….but it doesn't reach his eyes. "Sure. You were saying you wanted to do some genjutsu the other day, want me to try and teach you?"

"Eh." He shrugs and his parents look at each other. "What?" Shikaku has a small smile on his usually lazy features.

"I know that you've been training a lot lately to impress someone, Son, but I never imagined it would be Minako." He says and Shikamaru stands, his chair falls over. Yoshino gives him a look. I'm laughing, clutching my stomach. He picks the chair up, his cheeks tinged pink.

"You ready?" Shikamaru asks and I nod, wiping fake tears from my eyes. He picks up out empty plates and takes them to the kitchen.

"Thank you for the meal." I say with a small smile to Yoshino. "You make me look like a total novice."

"I've had more experience." She says, returning my smile. "I'd be more than happy to show you a thing or two if you'd like."

"I may take you up on that." I say and then I follow Shikamaru out. "I'll go and get dressed."

"Okay." He says and I walk back to the room I've been staying in. My regular 'work clothes' are in my bag. I'm glad that whoever packed for me did include a fresh pair. I strip off my shorts and tee shirt and grab the clean clothes. I dress in my mesh armor tee shirt and black shorts before I pull on my purple dress. I attach my usual pouches and take a look at myself in the mirror. I look normal for the most part. My dark circles are more intense than usual…and I look a lot more pale. I turn away from my reflection and attach my tanto before I exit my room. Shikamaru stands upright before he leads the way out of the house. We don't leave the compound…we go to a small training area. "I figured you'd wanna spar since we didn't get to the other day."

"Alright….are you ready to get your butt kicked into next week?" I ask lightly, rolling my shoulders. A couple of people have gathered.

"Ready." He says, standing there with his hands in his pockets. "Let's go." I immediately begin making seals. I finish when his shadow is halfway across the distance. It immediately stops and slowly recedes back to him as he is caught in my genjutsu. One hand has left his pocket and he's taken half a step back. He can't see me. This is a genjutsu that I came up with on my own. "Where'd you go? Afraid of me beating you that badly?"

"More like you should be afraid of me." I say punching him in the stomach. He moves with the punch, bending backwards into a flip.

"Release." He says as he makes a seal. "That was a good one. New?" He asks and I shrug.

"Good against a Nara…because if you can't see my shadow to attach to it…" I say throwing some kunai which he easily dodges. I run at him and we're locked in a dance of punches and kicks. He lands a blow on my cheek that really stings. "You have been taking your strength training seriously."

"Well you did say that it was embarrassing for you to be able to hold me down." He says, jumping to avoid my sweep. While he's in the air and I'm low, I draw my tanto to block his kunai. I roll backwards. It feels good to be actually using my muscles after three days of just laying there. He runs at me and I tuck and roll straight through his legs and kick him in the butt. He's launched a bit and he falls forward. He's irritated when he stands back up. I'm smiling. "That was cheap."

"You left yourself open." I say simply before he's back on me. He's trying to push me towards the shadows. I vault off of his shoulders before I flip him. He lands with a huff. He glances over and grabs my tanto. I block his swing with two kunai. It's caught between them, so I jerk it away. All three blades clatter to the ground and I go to attack, but my body is frozen.

"Shadow possession, complete." He says, forcing my posture to relax into his own lazy stance. "Do you give up?"

"Silly Shikamaru, you should know that even when I'm helpless, I'm never truly helpless. Just give me a minute." I say and he looks amused. If I focus I can cast the genjutsu without hand seals…I know that I can. I make eye contact. He doesn't seem to believe I'll get out of this.

"Minako, are you planning on just waiting this out? Because that's stupid." He says, sounding irritated. Focus. Focus. And then my body is in my control again. "Release." He makes the seal, annoyed. "Don't flirt with me to get out of a fight."

"What are you talking about? I was just standing here the whole time." I say and then I'm running at him. I stumble, however, and he is able to pick me up by the tops of my arms. As he goes to slam me down, though, his eyes widen and he quickly throws his weight. I land on top of him. I smell the blood immediately. "Shikamaru!" I gasp.

"I'm okay." He says, but I can tell that he's in pain. I carefully roll him over. I hear people running. Both of my kunai are imbedded in his back. I remove them gently before I focus the chakra into my hands. Come on, mystical hands technique don't fail me now. Someone is beside me, their own hands glowing green as well….only brighter and more controlled.

"There we go, it's okay." The woman says and I can see that the wounds are closed. I'm drained when I let the technique fade. "Are you alright, Shikamaru?"

"Yeah." He says as he sits up. I don't realize that I'm crying until the tears splash against my legs. I quickly wipe them away. "Uh…Minako."

"What?" I ask, looking back at him. He reaches over and grabs my tanto before he holds it so I can see my reflection. My Sharingan…each with a single tomoe. I grab the blade to get a better look. "Jerk. Never ever do something stupid like that again." I deactivate the Sharingan.

"What else was I going to do? Let you get hurt?" He asks, his tone is annoyed. "Thanks for helping out, Aunt Sachiko."

"Anytime, especially when you're being brave for a pretty girl." She says, giving him a sly look. "My my, so this must be THE Minako Uchiha. I've heard a lot about you."

"Aunt Sachiko." Shikamaru groans. "Don't make it sound like it's more than what it is." I'm curious now.

"Yeah, yeah. Well next time you don't pay attention to your battle arena, don't come crying to me." She says and then she stands up. "It was nice meeting you, Minako."

"It was very nice to meet you too." I say, standing up and bowing to her. I have the reputation as the polite twin. You'd think Sasuke was raised in a barn. She waves before walking away. "So since it was my kunai, does that mean that I win?"

"But it was my act of bravery which saved you from injury." He says and I roll my eyes. He wants to play?

"But it was also your fault that I was put in that sort of danger anyway. I knew that the weapons were there, I just couldn't move in time. You really should have thrown us to the side." I say off-handedly. He's annoyed. "But thank you, oh brave hero." I am being genuine. His look softens. "And you've got to show off for your cousins and stuff. How cool their older cousin Shikamaru is, saving a pretty girl and all." He's annoyed again.

* * *

"Minako, you're doing great, but you're going to want to protect your middle a bit more." Kenta-sensei says and I hum. I hear the sound of a blade and I turn to deflect his blow. He forces me to the ground, but our blades don't break contact. "Good…good…now are you ready to give up? Your arms are a little shaky."

"Absolutely not." I say, adjusting my grip. "I'm just getting started." I begin pushing back…I'm down on just one knee now…I'm starting to rise off of the ground…with a forceful shove I knock his blade away.

"Good." Sensei says with a nod. "I'm not worried one bit about you three. You're going to kick ass."

"Hell yeah!" Junichi exclaims picking me up and setting me on his shoulder. "We are an unstoppable force."

"Not unstoppable, but we'd be one hell of an annoyance." Izanagi says and I snicker. "So…have you gotten any word?"

"Nope…but I'm trying not to think about it right now." I say and Kenta-sensei regards me for a moment. He's probably thinking about his sister.

"Minako!" Shikamaru shouts from across the field, he's running. I jump down off of Jun's shoulder and meet him half way. "Team Seven's been spotted!" Relief floods through me, almost making me dizzy.

"You're dismissed." Kenta-sensei says with a smile. "Just don't forget that I'll be testing you."

"Alright." I say with a nod. "I'll see you guys later!" I wave to my team mates and then I begin running. Shikamaru actually runs with me. As we reach the front gates, they're just walking through. Sasuke smiles as he sees me…or as much as a smile as he'll give in public, but I can't stop the tears. I march straight up to him and smack the shit out of him. The resounding noise causes everyone close by to stop and look at us. I pull him to me. "If you ever do whatever the hell you did to make me feel like you were dead again, I swear on everything that I will kill you myself. Do you understand me?"

"I'm sorry." He says, realization sinking in. "I didn't think that…Wow." He's holding me tight. "I'm so sorry, Mina."

"I hate to break up this reunion…but we really need to report to the Hokage." Kakashi Hatake says and I take a step away from my brother. His cheek is bright red. I frown.

"Go do your damn job." I say, putting my hands on my hips. He smiles before he follows his team. I cover my face then and let out the breath I didn't realize I was holding. Someone puts their arm around my shoulders. I look up. It's Shikamaru.

"Why don't I buy you lunch?" He suggests and I smile. "What was Junichi doing when I got there?"

"We were celebrating our preparedness for the exams." I say as I begin walking, folding my hands behind my back. "It makes him feel better about himself when he picks me up like I'm a little girl or something."

"You're not THAT small." He says and I glare at him. "I'm not callin' you fat or anything. I don't think your body knows what that is."

"It does…but they're not very close." I say and he chuckles. "It's not because I'm worried about that or anything. My training schedule is way too rigid for anything to catch up with me."

"Looks like sleep's one of the things that won't catch up with you." He says and I shrug. "Minako…"

"I use the day time for physical training and at night I read my medical books." I say, glancing at him. "It's not like I'd be sleeping anyway. Sasuke has nightmares sometimes and so I worry about him."

"What about you?" He asks and I look at him. "All I know is that the other night I almost came to check on you."

"Ah, that." I say, nodding and pursing my lips. "It'd be unreasonable to assume that I didn't have some leftover bad dreams. They pop up every now and again…it may have been a little worse since that one day. It's no big deal. What is this? Worry about Minako day?"

"Being your friend is a full time job of worrying." He says and I glance at him, he's looking up at the sky. "Surprisingly not as troublesome as you'd think."

"You've clearly never seen me at work." I say and he sighs as he looks at me. "Kenta-sensei says that my protective instinct is a tad too strong sometimes."

"So you're reckless." He says and I shrug. "I don't know what I'm going to do with you." He shakes his head.

"Keep me, I hope. It may be easy enough for me to make friends, but very few people can tolerate how much of an asshole I am and still seem to want to be close to me." I say and he shrugs.

"Like I said…you're not as troublesome as everyone else even if you are annoying sometimes." He says and I smirk. "Yes, I know it's intentional."

"You started it. If you hadn't tormented me when we were little kids, this never would have happened." I say…but in reality I am glad that this happened. He's been there for me in a way that no one else has since I started taking care of Sasuke…he's always made sure that I got taken care of.

"If you didn't get so bent out of shape every time I annoyed you, it may not have stuck." He says and then he looks up. "What do you want to eat?"

"You know I'm not picky…but Ichiraku is right there." I say, nodding towards the restaurant.

"Alright." He says and we go over and sit down. "Two medium miso ramens." Teuchi smiles.

"Coming right up!" He says and he goes over and begins preparing our meals. I arch my back to pop it.

"So it came to my attention the other day, that other than being a kunoichi you've never really talked about what you planned on doing after." Shikamaru says and I raise an eyebrow at him.

"I've never really thought about it. My father wanted me to marry young and so I just kind of went crazy with the idea of becoming the best kunoichi of our year." I say and he raises an eyebrow. "What do you plan on doing?"

"Well…later on I'll marry a girl who isn't too pretty…we'll have two children. A girl and then a boy. I'll retire when my daughter is married and when my son has a successful career and then I'll live out the rest of my days playing shogi or Go and then die before my wife." He says and I smile.

"That's really nice, Shikamaru. I hope that you can find someone who will permit that last part." I say and it's his turn to raise an eyebrow. "The Nara men are notorious for marrying abrasive women. If your father had the gall to disobey your mother's wishes…I'd hate to see that."

"Alright then, why don't I just marry you? It'd work out. You're not too troublesome and I'd be able to keep an eye on you." He says and I look away, my cheeks flushed slightly.

"Don't be ridiculous, I'm entirely too much for you to handle even now. I imagine it will only get worse with age." I say and Teuchi has an amused expression as he sets our ramen down in front of us. "Thank you."

"No problem." He says before he moves down to clear some dishes. "It may not be my place…but you two are way too young to be talking about marriage."

"My father is rolling in his grave." I say with a laugh. "He'd been in talks for arranging a marriage for me since I was four years old before the incident. I regret how it happened, but I am happy that I don't HAVE to get married if I don't want to."

"I suppose shinobi families are quite different. I can't imagine my dear daughter being married." He says and I smile. "What are your goals?"

"I was once told that if I worked hard enough I could be as great as Lady Tsunade." I say with a fond smile. "So…I figure I'll give that a go. The mother of all long shots." I snicker.

"That is quite an admirable goal. I wish you all the luck, Minako." He says and I bow my head respectfully.

"That's not a long shot, you know." Shikamaru says and I raise an eyebrow at him. "You're probably one of the strongest in our year. I'm sure you could do it."

"You've got a lot of faith in me, don't you?" I ask with somewhat of a laugh. "I don't have a choice but to get stronger and so I will. We'll see where that takes me." I finish eating and Teuchi takes the bowl from me with a smile. Shikamaru finishes before he hands over the money. "Wanna go cloud watching?"

"Sure." He says and then he starts walking. I fall into step next to him and don't ask any questions when we head the opposite direction from his favorite spot. We enter the forested area within the walls of the village.

"You're not bringing me here to murder me, are you?" I ask and he rolls his eyes. "It's a valid question." I sense Kenta-sensei and draw my blade just as he swings his sword in a wide arc. Shikamaru jumps back to a good mid-range defense, ready to back me up. "It's okay, this is training." I don't look at him, but I can sense his confusion. "If I'm going to be worth anything as a kunoichi, I'm going to have to try and be stronger than the boys." My voice shakes just as my arms do with the effort of holding my sensei off. "I'm also…" I push myself to one knee now. "I'm also working on detecting threats." I focus chakra into my feet and push off of the ground. I knock Kenta-sensei off balance and we begin fighting. He knocks me back but I land on my feet before I run back at him. I swing my blade in a wide arc and slash his shoulder….but he disappears and a log is where he once was.

"Very good, Minako." He says, nodding in approval as he comes out from behind a tree. "But I've been trailing you for ages. You should have sensed me. Do better."

"I will, Sensei." I say with a nod. He rubs his chin in thought, looking between Shikamaru and I. "What?"

"Nothing…you guys make a good team. Your tendencies of getting in close make for a good distraction while he gets in with the shadow stuff." He says and then he turns around, shoving one hand into his pocket. "See you!" He waves over his shoulder before he disappears.

"Your sensei is crazy." Shikamaru says and I laugh as I turn to look at him. "What the hell kind of training is that?"

"I'm not going to get better if he doesn't push me. And you can't really simulate being off guard. So the obvious solution is him attacking me at random intervals throughout the day." I say with a shrug.

"Scared the life out of me." He says, letting out an annoyed breath. "You need to get out of the habit of doing that."

"Oh that's no fun." I say and he shakes his head. "Are you taking me to where you plan to kill me or what?"

"What a drag." He says and I chuckle, but we begin walking. We come upon a clearing with flowers all over the place and I smile.

"This is really nice…thank you." I turn and look at him. He's just standing there with his hands in his pockets, looking up at the sky. "You'd better be careful, taking me to places like this. People might think you're in love with me."

"I told you. You'd have to be crazy to be in love with someone like you." He says, a smirk gracing his features. I laugh.

"As usual, I'd be offended…but I agree with you." I say as I lay down on the ground and fold my arms behind my head. "You know…I haven't slept in two days."

"I heard you up last night." He says and I smile a little. I haven't been able to go back to my apartment…I won't admit fear. "You need to take better care of yourself."

"It's not like I didn't try." I say, watching him as he lays down beside me. "When I realize that sleep isn't going to happen I get out my medical books. I have a feeling that I'll need it for the exams."

"Hmm…my mom's right." He says and I roll onto my side, raising an eyebrow at him. "We balance each other out. That's why we're friends."

"To be honest…I used to think you were my friend out of some weird obligation." I say and he turns onto his side, eyebrows furrowed. "Don't worry…I know that you really care about me. Only you and Sasuke have ever called me Mina….not even my mother called me that."

"It just kind of slips out." He says, rolling back over to face the sky. "If it bothers you, I'll try not to do it again."

"Shut up." I say with a roll of my eyes. "It's nice coming from you…especially since you're usually yelling at me."

"Well if you weren't so annoying." He says and I snicker. "Just shut up and watch the clouds."

"Okay." I say, rolling over onto my back. "And Shikamaru?" I ask and he hums. "Thanks…" Another hum.

* * *

"Concentrate, Minako." Kenta-sensei says and I nod. My entire body is screaming at me to stop. I'm in too deep. The only reason it's only Sensei and I now is because the boys were both too exhausted to continue. "We'll go one more round and if I don't see improvement, I'm going home. Do you want this Minako?"

"I want it." I say, my tone serious. "I want this more than I've ever wanted anything before."

"Why?" He asks and the exercise is started. He's coming at me with nowhere near his full force, but it's still pretty hard to keep up.

"Because. If I'm not stronger, I can't do my job." I say in a low voice. I block a punch, but the force rams my forearm into my head. I see stars.

"You must not want it very badly." He says and that makes me angry. He strikes me with the side of his hand in my side. "Dead." A punch to my stomach. "Dead." A kick to my chest and I fall over, but I roll backwards. "Dead. And there was nothing that you could do about it. Go ahead with your Sharingan. You obviously need the aid of that." I don't do it as I run at him. "You're sloppy."

"And you talk too much." I say evenly, sneaking a punch in his shoulder. He moves with the blow, liquid as he changes stances. I modify my own stance to avoid his punch just in time.

"Sensei, why is he being so mean?" I hear Ino ask, but I don't break conversation. She sounds very worried.

"Look kid, I realize that your whole family is dead and everything and you probably don't think that you've got a whole lot to lose…" Kenta-sensei starts and I land a punch in his jaw. "You're not the only person in the world to experience emotional trauma. I don't feel sorry for you."

"I don't want you to." My tone is the same as it has been since we began. "Are you done trash talking so that you can train me to be a better shinobi?"

"Are you done being a pissed off little kid?" He asks and I'm on the attack. He punches me. Hard. In the face. I see stars. I taste blood. "You don't want it bad enough, Minako! You're not going to be half the kunoichi you want to be!" I move with the blow and come back at him, throwing my entire body into the blow. I kick him square in the chest with both feet so hard he falls. He's starting to get back up but I draw a kunai and hold it to his throat. He tries to move his arms but I press the blade closer. "Alright, it's done." I back off and immediately fall to my knees. I press the heels of my hands against my eyes. "Don't let anyone tell you what you're going to be, kid. As my student, it is your duty to prove me wrong. Got it?" I nod. I'd speak, but I'm too busy trying not to cry. "I'm going to talk to Asuma, when you're ready to go let me know." I nod again and I hear him walk away. I let my hands fall into my lap and I open my eyes. My knuckles are bruised and bloody.

"Oh my god." Ino says and I look at her. Her eyes are filled with tears and she's covering her mouth. "Minako…are you okay?" I look at her for a moment longer before I smile. I take a deep breath and try to stand up, but it doesn't work.

"Physically? Hell no." I say and then I laugh a little. "Emotionally, yeah." She sits down on the ground in front of me.

"I know you carry around a first aid kit. Give it here." She says and I obey. She takes out a sanitary wipe and begins dabbing at my lip. Her left hand is holding my chin up…her hands are cold. It feels good. "Honestly Minako, you're crazy."

"Must be." I agree with a slight nod. "I appreciate you cleaning this up, but I'm going to have to go to the hospital. Sasuke will challenge Sensei to a duel if he sees me like this."

"What would possess you to train like this?" Shikamaru asks and his voice is angry. He moves into my field of vision and his expression confirms my suspicion.

"The last mission I went on I nearly got Izanagi killed because I let a guy get to me." I say, my tone is a bit sharp. "Izanagi got stabbed because I was a scared, pissed off little kid. So I decided to stop being a pissed off little kid in that moment and I killed a guy. I'm kind of freaked the fuck out about it right now. I need to know that if it's me or them…it's going to be me that walks out of there. I'm not going to let fear control me because that was bullshit."

"Oh Minako…what am I going to do with you?" Ino asks with a sigh. "Obviously I'm going to love you, but you shouldn't be so intense…we all know that you're going to be the one that walks away from situations like that because you have so much more to come home to than the bad guys do. Izanagi obviously survived, you were yelling at him just yesterday." I smile but then lower my head again as I feel the sting of tears. "You were the top kunoichi in our whole class and I was always super jealous, but now you're kind of my inspiration. You work so hard because you want to protect the people that you love. You're amazing!"

"You're saying that to the little girl covered in blood and bruises who is trying not to cry." I say, laughing.

"No, I'm saying that to my best friend with a spirit that towers over that of even the strongest shinobi I know." She says and that does it for the tears.

"Damn it, Ino!" I exclaim. "I'm only emotional because I'm tired." She hugs me. "Stop, I don't want to get blood all over you."

"Oh shut up, would you!?" She exclaims. "I swear, you're a bigger tough guy than Asuma-sensei!"

"I'm not sure if that's a compliment to me or an insult to Asuma-sensei…" I say and Kenta-sensei laughs a great big belly laugh.

"Both is acceptable in my book. Ya hear that Sarutobi? My genin is tougher than you." He says, slapping his rival on the back.

"If a genin can knock Kenta Miyamoto down, then I guess it's alright to be compared to her." He says and that makes me feel embarrassed. "That was a genuine win. He couldn't have avoided it even if he wanted to."

"Now you're trying to bull shit me." I say, giving the man an incredulous look. "I barely weigh one hundred pounds sopping wet."

"It must be the temper." Shikamaru says and I go to punch him, but think better of it. He looks anywhere but at me. "How's your medical ninjutsu?"

"Let's see." I say and then I hold my hands out in front of me. As they glow green with the mystical hands technique the cuts heal. I press a hand to my throbbing jaw and slowly but surely the pain goes away. "You can look now, I don't look as bad."

"That's not!" He exclaims, looking at me with irritation. "I'm hardly bothered by blood and bruises."

"Sure…when it's not on the woman of your dreams." I say with a wink. He just rolls his eyes.

"You're hardly a woman." He says and my eye twitches. "What have I done?" He asks to himself as I push myself into a standing position. "Take it easy."

"Your ass is mine, Nara." I say, cracking my knuckles. "Taijutsu only, none of the weird shadow stuff. You think you can keep up with me?"

"I just watched you kick a grown man across the field. Do you honestly think I'm that stupid?" He asks and I put my hands on my hips.

"So I'm now confused. Because it takes one hell of a woman to kick a grown man across the training field. So I'm thinking that I can deduce that you're just talking out of your ass….like you did when we were little. So what's up? Why so salty?" I ask and Ino giggles.

"So this is what Minako's like when she's tired." Choji says and I grin at him. "Shikamaru's talked about how grumpy you get…but I never believed it. You're always so nice."

"I'm always so nice to everyone but Shikamaru and Sasuke." I say, pointing finger guns at him. "My two favorite people to annoy."

* * *

I open my eyes as I hear my bedroom door open. My hand goes for the kunai on my nightstand before I recognize the chakra as my brother's.

"Sasuke, what's wrong?" I ask as I sit up. He walks over and sits down beside me with a sigh. I lean my head against his shoulder. "Bad dream?" I feel him nod. "Want to talk about it?"

"I don't know…" He says and I link my arm through his and hold his hand. "I just…I'm afraid of losing you."

"Sasuke, you know that I always do everything in my power to come home." I say, closing my eyes. "I've been teaching myself medical ninjutsu…"

"You never stop amazing me." He says and I can hear the smile on his tone. "I'm nervous about you participating in the exams."

"I hope that you have some concern for yourself mixed in there too." I say dryly. "If I weren't capable of doing my job, I wouldn't be taking them. Shikaku Nara, the Jonin Commander, said that I have the tendencies of a genin up for promotion. I will be fine. We will both survive."

"We have to." He says and I nod. "Sorry for waking you up…I know you haven't slept well lately."

"You're more important." I say, squeezing his hand. "I'm afraid of losing you too…I knew that I was before, but thinking that I actually did lose you. I haven't hurt like that in a long time." He takes his hand back from me and puts his arm around my shoulders. "I…thought about what I would do if you were dead." He waits…listening. "I threw around the idea of seeing your goal through…but I also thought about just trying to live my life pretending he doesn't exist."

"If anything ever does happen to me, I want you to do that." He says very seriously. "I never want you to have to face him."

"I know." I say, shivering as a chill runs down my spine. "But what if we both just pretended that he didn't exist? I know what he did and I know that I can't forgive him for it…but he's gone. We've heard nothing of him in five years…we could live our lives. Be a family together."

"Minako." He says and I sigh. "I can't let him get away with it. I have to avenge them. If they were still around….you wouldn't have to work as hard."

"If they were still around, Father would be trying to marry me off." I say, my tone a bit sharp. "You know that I was nothing more than a pawn to him. Remember? He was trying to get Shikaku to agree to an arranged marriage between Shikamaru and I."

"I don't think he really meant all that he said. You've always been too powerful to not be in the field." He says and I sigh a little. "What?"

"You've always believed in me so much. I'm afraid of letting you down one of these days." I say and then I open my eyes. "You should get some sleep though. We've got a big day ahead of us. Want me to mix something up to help you sleep?"

"When you do that, I don't hear when you get up." He says and I smile a little before I kiss his cheek. "Night Mina."

"Night." I say and he smiles a little before he gets up and walks back out, closing the door behind him. I lay back down and close my eyes, letting out a breath in an effort to get my muscles to relax.

* * *

 _I'm here but I'm not…I look at my hands and see that they are transparent…am I a ghost? I hear an explosion and look up, my hand reaching for my tanto but it isn't there. I see Sasuke and someone bites his neck. He screams and falls. The man turns and sees me._

 _"Well, well…look what we have here. How did I not know that there were two Uchiha brats?" He asks and I shudder, disgusted by his tone. "You could be of great use to me later on as well."_

 _"Thanks but no thanks." I say, preparing myself for a weaponless fight. "What did you do to my brother?"_

 _"I simply gave him a gift. I will teach him how to use it and he will become strong beyond his wildest dreams." He says and I scowl at him. "His body will be very useful…"_

 _"You won't lay another hand on him." I say firmly and then I run at him. As I reach him there is a puff of smoke and I am falling into a pit of snakes. I land on the ground and jump up, but I'm not in the pit anymore. Am I dreaming? I'm in the middle of a clearing, standing across from my brother. A black mark expands across his body and he regards me darkly._

 _"You're going to let me go, Minako." He says and I feel my hands curl into fists at my sides. "I'm far more powerful than you are now. You won't be able to stop me."_

 _"Don't be stupid, Sasuke." I say and then I think back to what that man told me. "I won't let you go to him. He just wants to use you for something. Stay with me and we'll both get stronger."_

 _"You're too late." He says and then his chakra spikes and I detect immense levels of power. His skin turns dark and he launches himself at me, chidori sparking wildly._

 _"Minako!" Shikamaru shouts and then he slams into my side, pushing me out of the way. I stare, wide-eyed._

 _"Stop!" I shout and everything freezes. Shikamaru's arms are up in an attempt to lessen the blow of chidori. Sasuke is frozen mid-air. I see Naruto and a couple of other guys on the edge. "What is going on…"_

 _"Sweetheart…you're dreaming." Mother says, walking up. I gasp, standing up quickly. "Relax…I have some things to tell you."_

 _"But you're dead…" I say and she smiles patiently. "Sasuke saw you and Father together…Itachi killed you."_

 _"Yes, Sweetheart, but this is a dream. Well…somewhat of a vision as well, but anyway. Listen to me. You are a very special girl, you always have been. It is your destiny to change fate." She says and I feel my eyebrows furrow together. "This future that you are watching right now…Shikamaru dying to save your life…is something that you can change. You'll know when there is something that you can do and when there is nothing that you can do. Unfortunately, then man from before will be a threat to you and your brother for a very long time." I must still look confused. "There are eight people who are or will be important to you who you will be able to save from disastrous fates."_

 _"Mother…who are they?" I ask and then I look around. "Obviously if this is a future, Shikamaru is one of them."_

 _"Very astute, darling." She says with a smile. "I can't tell you much more….just know that there are some very big threats to you and everyone in your future. You must do your very best to be prepared to do your part. Can you do that for me?" I nod. "Good girl. You need to wake up now, though, it's time to go and take your test. I know that you'll be wonderful."_

 _"Wait…Mommy!" I exclaim, reaching out for her but she begins to shimmer and fade away from view. "Mommy!"_


	3. The Forest of Death and Whatnot

**Welcome to chapter 3! I hope that you like it so far, I've been working really hard to bring you quality work! I don't have much else to say except that I hope you enjoy the chapter!**

I take my seat in the classroom…the written portion of the chunin exams is about to begin. I glance around the room and my eyes meet with intense blue eyes. This kid looks like he wants to kill me. A sand shinobi…that makes me a bit nervous. I turn my gaze away and quickly spot Izanagi and Junichi. Izanagi is on the side closest to the windows and Junichi is closest to the door. I'm in the middle. I spot Sasuke and he's staring at me. He must have sensed my nervousness. I smile at him.

"Whoa, you look just like a kid I saw earlier." The guy sitting next to me says and I smile at him.

"That was probably my twin brother." I say and he looks dumbfounded…How do some people make it this far? "Good luck on the exam."

"Hey, you too." He says and I smile before I go back to finding my friends. I see Sakura and Naruto….Ino and Choji. Where's Shikamaru? There's a tap on my shoulder and I turn around.

"Isn't this a drag? I didn't know there'd be a written portion." Shikamaru says and I smirk.

"What good is a strong body if your brain doesn't work right as well?" I ask and he offers the fair enough look. "Good luck…not like you'll need it."

"Same to you." He says and I turn around. I spot Kiba looking around and I offer an encouraging smile.

"Alright! Quiet down!" Ibiki Morino says and then he gets a sinister look on his face. Honestly…I space out. Essentially, don't get caught cheating or you and the rest of your team gets disqualified. I smirk at the idea of the sentinels having sharp eyes…mine are sharper. "Begin!" I flip over the paper and begin reading over the questions. As it goes on, they get progressively more difficult. I feel Sasuke's nervousness and I try to promote calm…if that's even how the twin emotion thing works. I decipher the code easily…it was always a strong suit of mine. I am aware of things…like the kid next to me trying to look at my paper. Holy shit the second question is impossible…I'm terrible with math. I don't calculate, I just throw the damn thing. I'll definitely have to come back to that one. Wait a minute…progressively more difficult…complex questions that not many people actually get….sharp-eyed sentinels….Ibiki wants us to cheat. After all, what's a ninja who can't gather at least basic intelligence? I glance up at the clock and a sentinel catches my eye. I smile brightly at him before I return to my test. If I need to cheat, it'll have to be from someone in front of me. I can use the Sharingan to copy movements…I can also use it to keep an eye out for the sentinels. I activate it. A kunai sticking into the paper of the boy next to me causes me to jump. He and his team leave quietly. I take a deep breath before I get back at it. The girl two rows ahead diagonal from me knows what's going on. She's already on the fifth question though. Okay…I start copying her movements. It looks to be right and how confidently she is moving makes me more comfortable with this. Okay…she's finished. I need to figure out two through four now. Suddenly, my body stops responding to my commands. Is this….no way, why is he helping me? My hand moves of its own accord over the second problem. Math…that's why. He knows how bad I am at it. A sentinel is about to look over. I clear my throat and I regain control of my body. Number two is finished….so the rest I don't need to worry about. I fill in three and four easily enough and I set my pencil down and nod to myself. The rest is up to Iza and Jun. One of the sentinels is going on about how superior his vision is and I can't help the slight chuckle.

"You there, number twenty-four, do you have a problem?" He asks and I glance to see that it is my number.

"No sir, I had a tickle in my throat. I'm sorry." I say, my voice dripping with sugary innocence. It's the voice I use to creep Sasuke out. He sniffs before he goes back to his seat…the boy he'd slammed against the wall leaves. Ibiki catches my eye, he looks skeptical. Okay…I've got to prove myself. Hold his gaze…do it…he's not scary. He's just using a lot of psychological torture devices. I will not be the first to look away. He smirks before he looks away. How much longer do we have left? I look at the clock. There's still half an hour. I sigh and lay my head down.

My body sits up of its own accord and I lazily blink. I must have fallen asleep…between Sasuke and that weird dream last night, I slept like crap. I smile sheepishly at Ibiki who is looking right at me. Shikamaru must have gotten me up.

"The rules for the final question are simple. If you wish to skip it, then you are free to go." He says and a girl freaks out. I turn to look at her….sand shinobi….I think I recognize her from somewhere. "If you skip it, then you fail the test and you'll just have to come back next year to try again. If you elect to take the question and you get it wrong, you fail and you remain a genin forever." Bull. Izanagi and Junichi look at me and I give a confident nod. We'll be okay. They return my nod before turning their gaze back to the front of the room. Several people quit….and I can see Naruto shaking like a leaf. Come on…you can do it, Naruto…he's not going to make you stay a genin. My gaze flits to Sakura and I see her getting ready to raise her hand. Self-sacrifice? Naruto's hand shoots up. I let out my breath as he gives an encouraging speech about not giving up. "Alright then…I guess the only thing that I can say to you now is that….you have passed the first part of the exam." I sit back and cross my legs with a smirk. I knew he was bluffing. "Number twenty-four serves as a good example of what I was testing you over for this tenth question. The solidarity as a team. I saw her teammates look back at her as soon as I told you all the rules of the final question and she had the unwavering trust in them as they have in her."

"And they're all rookies." The guy who I'd laughed at earlier mutters and there are whispers. I feel self-conscious. Why'd he have to point that out? Oh yeah…I laughed at him.

"You were faced with a no-win situation and based on that you had to make the decision best suited for your team. Have confidence in each other or give up to play it safe. So for those of you who remain, you have indeed passed this portion of the chunin selection exam." Ibiki says and then something breaks through the window. Instinct commands my body and I'm standing on my seat, kunai in either hand prepared to fight. It's just a single woman though…and she is my idol.

"Oh brother." I hear Sasuke say and I sit down, earnestly listening. She dismisses us and I eagerly hop over the tables until I'm next to Junichi. Izanagi joins us and we hug, me in the middle.

"Our crazy little shit…I thought that guy was going to string you from the ceiling." Izanagi says and I laugh.

"But you impressed the proctor, so I guess your insanity is good for something." Junichi says as he pats me on the head.

"Uchiha!" Someone barks and I turn around. It's not at me though. A guy with obscenely large eyebrows is marching up to my brother. I march over.

"Yes?" Sasuke and I answer together. He jumps. He must not have realized that I'd walked up.

"Ah…I meant Sasuke Uchiha. I didn't realize that…" The boy says as he observes me. "Ah…" I feel Sasuke's irritation. "My name is Rock Lee."

"Minako Uchiha, it's a pleasure. As it so happens, I handle all social affairs as my brother is a bit socially challenged, so I'm sure whatever problem you have with him you can take up with me." I say with a bright smile. "So what's the problem?"

"Ah….nothing." He says, deflating. I smile up at him as I adjust my arm bands. No one is going to hassle my brother.

"I'm so happy that this was handled in a positive manner! It was a pleasure speaking with you, Rock Lee." I say as I throw an arm around my brother. He walks away. I hook my arm around Sasuke's neck and leap. He catches my legs, regarding me dryly. "I have found my idol….whom I aspire to be in life."

"I was afraid of that." He says and I grin. He turns around and deposits me into Junichi's arms. "We'd better find out teachers."

"Good thinking, Brother." I say as I stand up on my own. We file out and I hum. "If I were a wild Kenta-sensei, where would I be?" I stretch in the sunlight.

"I've got three guesses. He's either drinking coffee, at the training fields thinking about coffee….or right behind us." Izanagi says and the three of us quickly turn around. He's not there. There's a tap on my shoulder.

"You're going to have to be faster than that, kids." Kenta-sensei says as he smiles down at us. "I assume you passed, very good. Now go home and prepare yourselves separately. We will meet at our usual training ground at six in the morning. Understood?"

"Yes, Sensei!" We chorus and we receive high fives. He poofs and I stretch again. I really didn't get my nap out.

"Ah…Minako Uchiha?" Rock Lee's voice alerts me to his presence and I turn around to face him. I take a couple of steps back.

"Rock Lee?" I ask…going with the theme of using both names. He stares at me for a moment before he gets a look of determination.

"Minako Uchiha! Your bravery and overall youthfulness has not failed to catch my eye!" He proclaims and my eyebrows shoot up. "I am in love with you!"

"Ah…well you see…I'm flattered…but…uh…." I stall as I look around. My eyes land on Shikamaru. "I am currently seeing someone!" It isn't a lie…I am looking at someone else right now.

"I will not give up! Someday I will defeat the man who holds your affections and I will gain them!" He proclaims grandly and then he runs off…promising to train.

"What…just happened?" I ask, turning to my boys. They both shrug. "No one's ever…been so….direct? What?"

"Who are you seeing, Minako?" Shikamaru asks as he walks over with his team. He's wearing a shit eating grin that pisses me off.

"You see...that information is on a need to know basis and you…don't need to know." I say, putting my hands on my hips. "Why'd you wanna know? Jealous?"

"Jealous?" He asks, his eyebrows shooting up. "Why would I be jealous?" I wag my eyebrows. "I'm not secretly in love with you."

"I know you're not secretly in love with me, it's blatantly obvious." I say, tossing my hair over my shoulder. "Well, I'd better get home. Kenta-sensei wants me bright-eyed and bushy-tailed at five-thirty tomorrow morning."

"She's so cute!" A group of male voices choruses and I look around. I don't see anyone. I shake my head. I thought the club would dissolve after graduation. I guess I was wrong.

"Anyway, bright-eyed and bushy-tailed, so I'm off to have a nice dinner probably by myself and then I will prepare my things for tomorrow. Ta!" I say and then I use the body flicker technique. Not bad for a first attempt.

* * *

I check over my pouches again. I've added three new ones to make up for the fact that I'm not carrying a backpack. The first new addition is on my right thigh. It's level with the one of my left thigh which holds kunai and shuriken. It holds medical supplies in small, basic storage scrolls. I have two pouches situated at my lower back. The one on the right has storage scrolls filled with enough food to last my team three full weeks and my canteen. The pouch on the left holds more weapons…a lot in storage scrolls and some loose ones that are ready for immediate use. My tanto rests in its sheath above them, ready to be used. Rock Lee tries to catch my attention but I smile at Junichi who is checking his own pouches. We are extremely uneasy about this forest…and we don't even know what we're going to be doing in it yet.

"Minako! You look so cute!" Ino exclaims as she runs over. Choji and Shikamaru aren't far behind her. "But of course you never have to try to look glamorous!"

"Oh, don't be dramatic. I always go for practical." I say and she grins at me. "Oh come on, you know I grew out my hair because I look too much like Sasuke when it's short. I'm ninety-eight percent certain you accidentally groped me once instead of him."

"Now who's being dramatic?" She asks and I laugh. "What do you think's going to go on in there?"

"It's probably to test survival skills. I remember someone telling me about the battle training fields once and how it's certainly the best place to test survival." I say and then I notice the look on Shikamaru's face. "What is that shit eating grin, Nara?"

"Oh nothing…just a theory I have." He says, the smirk still heavily tainting his features. My hands ball into fists, my knuckles cracking. "Who are you seeing?"

"I know you're my best friend Shikamaru, but I honestly think it's for the best if you don't know." I say, turning away from him…hiding in my hair. "I fear you won't approve."

"I'm calling bull crap." Ino says, putting her hands on her hips. "You tell me who it is this instant, missy!"

"Oh alright…if you insist!" I say dramatically and then I use the body flicker technique. I stop beside my brother. "Hey guys, what's up?"

"What did you do?" Sasuke asks, stooping a bit to make himself more useful as the leaning post I was trying to make him into.

"Oh, Shikamaru's stuck on this weird idea that I'm dating someone and so I came over here to hide. I imagine Junichi and Izanagi will join me momentarily." I say and then they appear beside me. "Just in time!"

"I wonder when they'll figure out that you really aren't seeing anyone." Izanagi says and I shush him, looking around to make sure Rock Lee isn't nearby. "It's only a matter of time."

"Don't remind me." I say with a sigh. "I just need enough time to come up with another excuse."

"If you didn't look so much like Sasuke, I'd offer to be your fake boyfriend Minako." Naruto says and I snicker.

"I appreciate the sentiment, Naruto." I say and he grins at me. "I'll figure something out." Boys are annoying. Anko Mitarashi calls everyone to attention then and explains this portion of the exam. It is exactly what I said. Survival. We have the added objective of obtaining an object though. We will be given a scroll, heaven or earth, and we will be required to obtain the one that we are not given at the beginning. And of course we have to sign a release form. Naruto is being his usual loud self and so Anko throws a kunai and slices his cheek. This woman is amazing….she really takes no shit from anyone. My blood runs like ice as I feel the presence of someone truly evil. I turn around, my hand going for my tanto…just to see a grass shinobi giving Anko back her kunai….with his tongue. He looks like….the shinobi from my dream. Nausea takes over my stomach and I feel a hand take mine…Sasuke. Everything is back to normal and we are given our release forms.

"What's wrong?" Sasuke asks, making me turn to look at him. I try to neutralize my fear, but it isn't working…seeing as though I'm afraid for my brother.

"Just stay as far away from that Grass guy as possible, okay? He gives me the creeps." I say and he regards me with skepticism. "You trust me, don't you?"

"Yeah…alright." He says and then he pats me on top of my head. "You're prepared enough to survive in there for six years, aren't you?" I take out one of my food scrolls and give it to him. "Mina, no. I didn't prepare for it…"

"But that's why you've got a sister. Take it. There's enough food to last a few days at least." I say and then I kiss his cheek. "We'll get through this."

"I know." He says, smiling. "Be smart." I grin and head over to Junichi and Izanagi who have already signed their slips.

"You ready, fearless leader?" Junichi asks and I smile up at him as I bend to use my leg as a solid writing surface and sign my name.

"Let's raise hell." I say and we get into line. We reach the table, give our slips and they give us a heaven scroll. Izanagi tucks it into the inside pocket of his jacket and we head back out. "Let's see if my lucky number is taken."

"Sounds good to me." Izanagi says and we take off for gate number twenty-six. The guy I had laughed at yesterday is standing there. I pretend not to recognize him. "Oh, I forgot to tell you. I packed some rations too."

"Great work." I say with a smile. "I gave Sasuke one of my food scrolls, but we've still got enough for two and a half weeks. Five days will be cake."

"There's no way you could have known." The guy says and I turn to look at him. "How did you know it would be survival." His tone is accusatory.

"Dude, chill. Minako Uchiha over-prepares for everything. Once we had a mission where we only expected to be out for a day. She still brought three weeks worth of food. We ended up being out for like a week with two extra mouths to feed." Junichi says, jumping to my defense readily. "She's probably even got spare clothes for us somewhere in there." For comedic effect I check and low and behold... I crack up.

"I didn't realize I'd grabbed that scroll." I say and Izanagi starts laughing too. I tuck it away. "You're right about there being no way I could have known, so I prepared for anything."

"Alright." He says begrudgingly. "It's almost time. Good luck out there." I smile…at least he doesn't actually hate me. When it is time, he dispels the seal closing the gate and we take off. I take pointe, checking for traps and enemies. We keep moving because stopping could be deadly. We need to put as much distance between the gate and us as possible because we will be targeted as easy pickings due to our age. I sense hostile chakra and so I throw up the half tiger seal, our signal to hide. Iza and Jun's chakra signatures disappear so fast it almost alarms me, but I know that they're fine. I press myself to the ground, concealing myself in the bush.

"I could've sworn I detected someone this way." A male voice carries from the treetops above down to my hiding spot. "Let's keep searching…the babies probably hung close to the gate."

"I didn't think of that." Another voice says and then they're gone. We stay still until their chakra signatures are gone. I activate my Sharingan and search the area for any signs of humans. There are none. I come out of hiding first and motion for them that it's alright.

"We can't rest here. So we'll go for a little while longer and then figure out our game plan." I say and Izanagi nods. I deactivate my Sharingan and we start running again. I detect Kiba as soon as the kunai are flying at me. I use the substitution jutsu before I land, Sharingan spinning ready to track movements. "Wait. Before we fight. What scroll do you have?"

"What scroll do you have!?" Kiba barks and Akamaru growls, ready to attack us. I don't relax my posture, but I give him a look. "Heaven."

"Us too." I say and Hinata relaxes her posture. I wait for Kiba to stand down before I relax as well. "Okay…let's go on our ways then."

"That is a good plan." Shino says with an affirmative nod. "Take care of yourselves…I'd hate it if something happened to my friends."

"Thanks, Shino." I say with a smile. "You guys take care also. I expect to see you at that temple."

"You just worry about getting your scroll." Kiba says with a cocky smile. "Alright! Let's go!" Then they're gone. I shake my head and start running again. What are the chances of two encounters this early on? Shikamaru would know the math real fast. I finally spot a place that is easily defendable and land lightly on my feet.

"It looks like the sun is going to be setting soon. Should we make camp here for the night?" Izanagi asks and I look up…what isn't covered by the canopy is a cat puke pink.

"That's a good plan. For now we won't set up traps just in case we need to move quickly. We'll have a rest and then set up camp." I say and they nod, sitting down with their backs against the tree. I can't sit though…I'm too antsy right now. "So tomorrow we'll start at first light and start looking for teams. We'll observe to make sure they have the opposite scroll before we attack. From that point, we will move only with the intentions of reaching the temple. I'd like to get it done before day three."

"Sounds like a plan to me." Junichi says, looking around. "I don't like this place one bit." I hum my agreement. I spot something then. A movement that no normal eyes would catch. It darts out for a second. I throw my hands up, casting a genjutsu as I do it. Three people walk forward. Shikamaru, Choji, and Ino. Choji and Ino seem concerned Shikamaru doesn't appear bothered.

"They were here literally one second ago." Ino says, her eyes darting around. "She looked like she was going to do something and then." Junichi and Izanagi are on their feet then, moving around behind.

"Uh oh." Shikamaru says and then he makes a seal. My boys immobilize Choji and Ino. "What was that?"

"Honestly? I don't know what you were seeing. I just thought, 'oh shit, someone came to attack us. Hide'." I say, putting my hands on my hips. "What's the bright idea?"

"We didn't know if we'd find someone else." Ino says and I smile, amused. "What's that look?" A pout.

"Team Eight attacked us. You guys attacked us. What's next? My own brother?" I shake my head. "Which scroll do you have?"

"Heaven." Shikamaru says and I know that my relief shows. "So it was a wasted effort. How did you even…never mind."

"Your shadow was a little too anxious." I say with a smirk. "We were about to set up camp, would you guys want to join us?"

"That sounds great." Ino says, relaxing. "Shikamaru, you should go hunting." I shake my head and hold up a scroll.

"No need to hunt. I've got enough ration bars for everyone. But we should replenish our water. I hear a creek nearby." I say, focusing chakra to my ears to enhance what's already there. "About thirty meters due north."

"The ears a blood hound that one." Junichi says, patting me on top of my head. "I'll go and set up some traps."

"I can help with that." Ino says with a smile. "Choji, you go with Izanagi and refill the canteens." I finish off my canteen before I hand it over to my teammate.

"Alright. Then I'll build a small fire. It's going to get chilly." I say and we all go about doing our jobs. I begin collecting sticks to build the fire. As I stand up to my full height, I see that Shikamaru has already dug the pit. "Thanks." I say as I arrange the sticks. "Now step back." I make the seals and spit out a small fireball. It ignites and so I add more sticks to keep it going.

"That's pretty handy." He says with a shake of his head. "But you would be lazy enough to not actually make a fire. Do you even know how?"

"Of course I know how. And you're really going to call me lazy, sloth boy?" I ask, sitting down and letting out a breath. "I've slept like crap the past two nights."

"And knowing you, this is the first time you've sat down since this started." He says and I hum. "You should probably take better care of yourself…this is actual danger."

"I'm sure that Sasuke has given both Junichi and Izanagi the talk." I say and he hums. "I'm nervous because of a dream that I had."

"What happened?" He asks and I hug my knees to my chest. Talking about it will just fuel my fear. I'm giving it power.

"I was in a forest…just like this…I'm not certain that it wasn't this place…but there was a man who attacked Sasuke. He put a seal on him and then he turned on me…he was surprised that I was there. That there were two Uchiha…He said I would be useful someday." I say, staring at the flames. "Then the scene changed and we were in another forest. I was fighting Sasuke for some reason…and then he went to use this weird move on me. I don't remember what it was, but I know that he doesn't actually know it…but you pushed me out of the way. The weirdest part is that when I shouted, everything froze. Sasuke was frozen mid-air and you were prepared to take the blow. But then my mom was there…she told me something ridiculous…." I shake my head. "That there are eight people in my life who I am destined to save. She said that I could prevent your death in that moment…"

"But it was just a dream." He says and I look at him. "Why would Sasuke ever attack you? You're the most important person in the world to him."

"But what if I try to get in the way of him accomplishing his goal?" I ask and he has a solemn look.

"I wouldn't let him hurt you." He says and my heart clenches. "If a time ever comes where you feel like you need to stop him, I will help you."

"Thanks." I say with a small smile. Everyone returns then. Ino gasps and I'm on my feet, tanto drawn.

"No! I just realized who you're seeing!" She exclaims in a whisper yell. I roll my eyes, sliding my blade back into it's sheathe. "You were lying. You're not actually seeing anyone."

"Technically I wasn't lying. I was looking at someone else when I said it." I say and she snickers.

"So I'm your fake boyfriend, huh?" Shikamaru asks, that shit-eating grin returning to his face.

"You know, for a second there I thought that it was possible for you to not be annoying…" I say, glaring at him. "But if it got Lee to leave me alone, then I don't mind having you as a fake boyfriend. You already asked me to marry you anyway." Ino's soul leaves her body for a moment. "To, quote 'Keep me out of trouble', un-quote."

"You're taking that way out of context." He says dryly. "I only said that after you wished me luck in finding someone who'd actually be a…"

"Yes…rethink your sentence." I say menacingly. "I said that I hoped that you could find someone who would be alright with dying before you…in which case that doesn't really make sense because I'll be damned before I allow for you to die before me."

"According to your dream it is your purpose in life to keep me alive." He says and I know the betrayal flashes across my face.

"And so the truth comes out!" Izanagi proclaims grandly. "You guys are secretly in love with each other."

"Yeah right. It's no secret that Shikamaru is in love with me." I say, taking out my food scroll. "Now shut up and eat food." I unseal the bars and give one to everyone. "I can take first watch."

"Actually, I'll take first watch." Izanagi says and I give him a look. "You used more chakra than I did today. You sleep first."

"I'll take second watch." Shikamaru offers and I open my mouth to offer up third but he looks at me. "We shouldn't need a third."

"One of these days you guys are going to try and boss me around the wrong time and I'm going to rip your head off." I say in a low voice.

"I hope it's a day when you've actually gotten a sufficient amount of sleep." He says and I set my jaw. "I'd better stop pushing it."

"You'd be amazed at what I can do when I'm tired." I say and then I yawn before I open up my ration bar. "Oh, I make them myself…so I'm sorry if you guys don't like them."

"Are you kidding me? This is probably the best ration bar I've ever tasted." Ino says, her eyes wide. "I had no idea that you could make stuff like this."

"Sasuke hogged all the tall genes, I took all of the genes that allowed for finesse in culinary arts. That idiot can't even boil water without almost destroying my kitchen." I say, glowering at the memory of the last time he tried to cook.

"So do you do most of the housework?" Ino asks, genuine curiosity…not the creepy fan girl curiosity.

"It's pretty equal. Basically the only set thing is the cooking. I banned him from doing it unless I am dying on the floor and the last resort for saving me is if he cooks something. Since graduation it's pretty much, if you're not busy with training or a mission you do something. Though the fucker needs to learn how to do his own laundry right. I'm sick of teaching him how to get blood out of clothes." I say with a shake of my head.

"You sound like a more vulgar version of my mother." Junichi says and I laugh. "My dad tries to do the thing where he does something bad so that Mom won't ask him to do it again."

"I'd just show him how to do it again and make him do it over until he got it right." I say and then I snicker. "I feel sorry for the moron who marries me."

"Oh shut up." Izanagi says with a roll of his eyes. "And besides, it's already been decided. We'll give you to Shikamaru for a cow and a goat."

"Asshole. I'm worth at least two cows, a good sized pig, two goats, and a chicken." I say with a shake of my head.

"My mistake. I guess that's what I get for letting a Nara barter with me." He shakes his head sadly. "The price has gone up."

"Thanks, but no thanks." Shikamaru says and I laugh. "Alright, if we're done eating we should probably try to get some sleep."

"Alright. Don't you guys worry one bit. I've got the second best eyes on Team Kenta." Izanagi says and I smile before I lay down, using my arms as a pillow. I let my body relax…but I know I'm not going to sleep all the way. It's more like…my body will be resting, but my mind will be alert…waiting for something to come along and try to kill me.

* * *

When I open my eyes it is still pretty dark. I feel an arm around my center and I raise an eyebrow. I turn my head and see Shikamaru, sleeping peacefully….Wait a minute. I sit up and see Junichi sitting on a few meters away. I'm going to stab them all. Shikamaru stirs and his cheeks turn pink as he opens his eyes and realizes that he's so close to me.

"I didn't know you were a cuddler." I say dryly and he offers a light glower before he moves. I stand up and stretch. I nudge Izanagi's knee with my toe and he sits straight up. "It's time to wake up."

"Oh, okay." He says, rubbing his eyes. I take out a scroll and toss a ration bar to everyone before I go over to Junichi.

"You guys are assholes." I say, putting a hand on my hip. He regards me sheepishly. "Why didn't you wake me up?"

"Because you didn't even stir when Shikamaru came over. That's how I can tell when you're really tired." He says and I sigh before I give him a bar. "Thanks."

"Sorry for making you worry, but I am okay." I promise and he smiles. "Give me your canteen and I'll refill it." He hands it over and I smile before I go over and snake Izanagi's canteen from his backpack. "I'll be back. If I'm not back in hmm…ten minutes send help. Make it look like we were never here."

"We'll disappear." He says, making weird hand motions to suggest our disappearance. I smile before I start walking towards the creek. I sense Shikamaru following. I drop to my knees by the creek and begin filling.

"You fill, I'll put the drops in?" He asks, sitting down beside me. I shrug and toss him my bottle of iodine. "You okay?"

"Enough. I slept too heavily and so I feel like crap." I say and I feel the force of his eye roll. "I feel personally responsible for getting Izanagi and Junichi out of here. They've got families to go home to, so I've got to watch…." I frown when I get a sharp pain in my neck. "I've got to watch their backs." I won't bring attention to it….but he's regarding me with question. I screw the lids back onto the canteens. "It's fine. Sasuke's just probably in a fight right now."

"Do me a favor a try not to run to him…even if it feels bad. Because as much as I know you want to protect him, you've got to let him take the test just like you are…" He says and I glower at him. "I'm just saying…"

"I know." I say and then I tuck my canteen away. "Well, we'd better get back." I stand up with Iza and Jun's canteens before I start walking. Everyone is ready to move out when we return, which is good.

"Be careful." Junichi says to Team Asuma. "I'd hate to have to come back to save your guys' asses."

"Minako's corrupted them. They can't help it." Shikamaru says and I offer an innocent smile. "See ya guys at the temple."

"Bye." I say with a wave and then we're on our way. I push my sense out, trying to find another team. This is a really big place though…and it is reasonable to assume that at least a couple of teams have made it so far. We're moving at a good, sustainable pace. We won't get worn out from running for this long and we'll be able to evade easily if someone attacks us. I should be able to sense people close by, though. Suddenly a kunai whips through the air right in front of me. I drop and swing from the branch to evade it. I land on a lower branch, already working through my seals. "Fire style! Great fireball jutsu!" I breath a large fireball and three shinobi jump out to avoid incineration. They are a lot bigger than I am.

"Give us your Heaven scroll." The guy says and then he grins. "Rookies. The stupid looking one can't even keep it a secret which scroll they have. It's our lucky day, boys."

"The only stupid one here is you." I say, activating my Sharingan. "You're not going to walk away with that Earth scroll."

"We'll deal with you in a minute." The leader says and I glare at him. I nod and Izanagi throws a smoke bomb. I launch forward, attacking the leader while the other two take on his team mates. We exchange blows before he elbows me in the temple. It hurts, but it's nothing that I can't handle. I launch myself across the gap in between us and catch him in the chin with my knee. He bites his tongue. I don't relent. As we're falling, I use chakra to push off of the tree. We land on the ground and there is a dent. He's out like a light. I quickly check him over and find his scroll. I tuck it away before I work through my seals. My boys knock the other two guys into my line of sight and I cast the genjutsu. They both land and look around before the screaming begins.

"Come on!" I shout and we book it out of there. Once we can no longer hear the screaming we stop, but I still feel like something's wrong. I'm too anxious…but it isn't my own anxiety. "Something's wrong with Sasuke."

"What are we waiting for then?" Izanagi asks and I feel my eyebrows draw together. "We've got what we need, it won't hurt to run by and check…just in case."

"He's right." Junichi says, giving me a reassuring look. "And besides, you work better when you're not too worried."

"Thanks." I say with a smile and then we're off. I follow my bad feeling until finally we come upon then…both Team Kakashi and Team Asuma….along with a team from the hidden sound village. One member is down and I see Sasuke standing across from another one with a smirk on his face. His aura is terrifying. "Sasuke." I say and he looks at me. I jump down from the tree and approach him. Iza and Jun are covering us. "What's going on? Are you hurt? I felt something…" But before I can finish he grabs my arm and yanks me towards him, punching me so hard I know that a least two of my ribs are broken. He's on the sound ninja again. I'm on my knees, gasping at the sudden pain.

"You're so fond of these arms, aren't you?" The monster possessing my brother asks as he pulls the sound ninja's arms back. I hear the snap. He turns to go after the third when Sakura lurches after him.

"Sasuke! No!" She cries, tears flowing down her face. "You have to stop! Please! Think about Minako!" She hugs him from behind. His eyes are wide as the black mark recedes back to the mark on his neck. The mark I saw in my dream. The sound ninja leaves his Earth scroll before he takes his team and they get the hell out of here.

"What the hell is your problem!?" Shikamaru shouts in a way that I don't think I've ever heard him sound… Sasuke looks at me and his eyes widen. He takes a step towards me. I push myself back, fear carrying me away. I see Itachi. Blood everywhere. Everyone dead.

"Stay the fuck away from me." I say, my voice trembling. Ino quickly moves to my side. "They're broken. I don't know how to fix bones." I see Izanagi put a restraining hand on Junichi's shoulder.

"It's okay." She says in what's supposed to be a comforting voice. "I'll help you wrap them up and we'll get help. Okay?" I'm shaking as she helps me stand. "We'll go somewhere a little more private." She leads me away and I sit on the ground on my knees before I lift my shirt. The angry black bruise causes me to cringe. She doesn't say anything as she winds the pressure bandage around my middle.

"I'm scared." My voice is a whisper. She secures the bandage and I hear as her hand squeezes into a fist.

"I know…but it's going to be okay. We aren't going to let him hurt you again. No matter what." She says and then she pushes my hair back and tucks it behind my ears. Then she shakes her head. "Sorry, that's something my mom does when I'm upset." She doesn't mean anything by it, but it makes my heart hurt. "Junichi, Izanagi. She's ready." She calls and I shake my head.

"No. I…I need to make sure he's okay." I say, pushing myself to my feet. She looks uncertain. "Ino. It's fine. I had my guard down." I walk back towards the group.

"You shouldn't have to have your guard up with him." Junichi mutters and I shoot him a look. "You don't go fucking ape shit and break your sister's ribs. I may not be an expert on being a twin, but I'm pretty sure that's a thing."

"That's enough." I say, my voice strong. I look to Sasuke. "Did a man attack you and leave a mark on your neck?" His hand goes to his neck as he looks at me. "Shit." I go over and carefully lower myself to my knees beside him. I tilt his head and look at it….exactly like in my dream. "As soon as we are out of here, we're finding someone who is a seal master and we're getting this off of you.

"Minako." He looks at me, his eyes are wide. He's afraid. "What's going on? I didn't even…I didn't even see you."

"I don't know, but I'm going to make it okay." I say and that seems to reassure him. "Now, you need to get your shit together and pull through for your team." The confusion leaves his face and I feel better. "I'll see you at the temple."

"I'm sorry." He says and I shake my head. "No, how bad is it?" I make the seals and check over the injured portion of my torso.

"Two are broken and one is cracked. I'll be able to make it, I just need to be careful." I say and he briefly looks sick. "Hey. None of that. You're not yourself." He helps me stand up…even though I don't need it. I look over and see that Ino is now helping Sakura. She cut her hair. "Damn, Sakura. Short hair really suits you." I see her eyes widen. "If I were interested in women…"

"Shut up." Ino says with a laugh. "You're embarrassing her." I smile, walking over. "Shikamaru says that you have a weird appreciation for women."

"There is nothing wrong with girls appreciating the beauty of other girls. It doesn't have to be in a romantic sense. I think everyone is beautiful in their own way. Except for Creepy Snake Guy. I'd like to light him on fire." I notice Sakura's swollen eye then. "That I can fix." I carefully drop to my knees in front of her and heal that.

"Thanks…that feels a lot better." She says, smiling a little. I see the lack of confidence and I hate the stupid jerks in our class that always made her feel that way.

"Okay. Now let's get you to that temple where someone can take a look at those ribs of yours." Junichi says and Izanagi hums his agreement.

"Oh no…" Sakura says and then I follow her line of sight. "Lee…he came and helped me when Naruto and Sasuke were unconscious. They beat him up pretty bad." His team comes into view then. The girl goes over and begins shaking him violently. The other guy stands back…looking pretentious. Lee begins to wake up.

"Lee…what were you thinking going in alone like that?" She asks, concern filling her tone in spite of her rather rough treatment just a moment ago. I gingerly stand up, taking a step back

"Sakura was in trouble! It would not have been right to leave her to defend her fallen team mates alone!" He proclaims and then he looks around. I take another step back and bump into someone. I hiss in pain. "Minako Uchiha!"

"Rock Lee." I greet, attempting to stand upright fully. I'm starting to feel weak though. That's not good. Someone is helping me stay upright.

"So the man who holds your affections is Shikamaru Nara." He says and a fire burns in his eyes. "Very well. Shikamaru Nara, I will not lose to you! From this point on we are rivals!"

"What a drag." My best friend groans. "Stand up straight. Don't think I forgot about that guy you killed by breaking his ribs."

"There are hardly even any pokey bits." I say, doing my best to straighten out. Junichi walks over then.

"Come on. I'm carrying you." He says and I know that I'm not winning this argument. Shikamaru helps me climb onto his back.

"What happened to you!?" Lee exclaims, outrage and concern filling his loud voice. I can imagine his expression. "Who injured you!?"

"It's a secret." I say, holding a finger to my lips. "Onward, Silver!" I offer a two finger wave over my shoulder. "See you guys at the temple!" We travel in silence. I give Junichi's shoulder a reassuring rub. "I'm sorry."

"Yeah. Just do me a favor and focus on staying alert." He says, sounding more like himself which is a relief.

"You've got it! I'm more alert than I've ever been!" I say and then I hum. "We're getting close. Stop here for a second. I have an idea."

"What's up?" Izanagi asks, helping me climb off of Junichi's back. "You really should just relax until we can get there…"

"That's what I'm trying to do. If we get into another fight I won't be very useful. So let's use transformation jutsu to disguise ourselves as chunin until we reach the temple. Anybody camping out around the temple wouldn't dare attack the people they are trying to deliver their mission objective to." I say and Junichi grins.

"Great idea." He says and then he forms the seals and turns into his brother. I laugh and form my own seals. The first chunin I think of is one of Shikamaru's cousins.

"Uh…." Izanagi says and then he snaps. He forms the seals before turning into Iruka-sensei. I chuckle. "You guys ready to go?"

"I can make the rest of the way on my own." I say with a nod and then the three of us take off. Either no one was camping or our disguises worked because we reach the temple without a hitch. We go inside and on the wall there's an inscription. "Oh okay…so we have to open the scrolls now. Maintain your transformation…just in case" I take out the Earth scroll. "You ready, Iza?"

"Sure thing." He says, taking out the Heaven scroll. We open them and I recognize the symbols on the paper. "Oh neat! A summoning jutsu!" We toss them onto the ground just as someone appears in a puff of smoke.

"Well, well." Iruka-sensei says, appearing amused. "What do we have hear? A few chunin who wanted to play along?"

"Very funny, Sensei." I say as I release my transformation. I maintain the appearance of someone who is uninjured.

"Very clever." He says with a chuckle. Iza and Jun release their jutsu as well. "I'm happy to report that the three of you have passed the second exam! Excellent work!" I gasp then, unable to breathe.

"Minako!" Junichi exclaims, supporting my full weight. "She has three broken ribs!" I squeeze his hand and he picks me up.

"Follow me." Iruka-sensei is all business now. I'm gasping for breath, tears in my eyes. What if they don't let me continue on to the third portion? We reach the medical set up and someone is immediately working on me. As suddenly as I lost the ability to breathe, it is back and I take in careful breaths.

"I don't see any signs of further injury." The medic says and my former sensei nods. "She should be alright to continue on." He looks at me then. "But I do recommend taking it easy. You've got a few days to relax until the next part."

"Alright. Thanks." I say, sitting up on the table. Junichi looks like he's aged six years. I offer a lazy grin, but then I'm serious. "Sensei, can I talk to you about something?"

"Come with me." He says and my team follows him. He leads the way to a room before he closes the door. "What seems to be the problem?"

"I need to get into contact with Kakashi-sensei. Something happened to Sasuke…They're all alright…but…" I start and then I look down at the floor. "He's the one who broke my ribs. It wasn't in actual combat. You of all people know that he would never do that in his right mind."

"I see…Alright. I've got to get back, but I'll let him know." He says gravely but then he puts a hand on my shoulder. "I am proud to be able to call you three my former students. Congratulations on passing."

"Thanks, Sensei." I say with a smile. He forms the seal and then he's gone. "Alright, now let's find a place to rest." We head out of the room.

"You guys can bunk with us." Kiba says, leaning against a wall…trying to look like a cool guy.

"Awesome. I could use a six thousand year nap." I say as I duck under his arm and into the bunk room. There are several sets of bunk beds.

"Yeah, we got here early to claim a room for the rookies." He says…still trying to sound cool.

"That's nice. Somebody help me with this pressure bandage?" I ask, trying to reach the pins holding it in place. Hinata quietly moves to my side and unpins it. She carefully unravels it.

"What happened to you?" Shino asks and I eye the already faded bruises before I smooth my clothes back into place.

"I broke two ribs and cracked one. A pokey bit punctured my lung just as we got here. I'm okay now. I saw a medic." I say and Hinata looks terribly worried.

"How'd you manage that?" Kiba asks and I see Junichi's lip curl back in a sort of angry sneer….not unlike I've seen on my brother.

"That charming brother of hers lost his mind." He says and I glare at him. My muscles tense…I wanna hit him…

"Look, Junichi." I say, my voice is very sharp. "He may be an insufferable bastard from time to time, but he is the only family I have left. He is sick. He was not in his right mind. If I have forgiven him, then you have no place to be angry with him. I'm about sick of your testosterone filled macho tough guy act. I'd lay your ass flat in under fifteen seconds and I barely weigh a hundred pounds soaking wet. I'm in a bad mood. So just shut up."

"Damn." Izanagi says after a second. "Retribution was swift on that one, am I right?" I put my face in my hands, but laugh.

"Wow, we suck under stress." I say, shaking my head. "I know you're just worried, but really you need to drop it otherwise I may forget to put my violent feelings into verbal actions instead of physical and I really don't want to do that."

"There's that secret dark side I've heard of." Kiba says and I laugh again before I sit down on the bottom bunk. I remove my tanto and lay it by the pillow. "But we all know that Minako is the only person Sasuke likes. Something has to be wrong if he hurt her of all people."

"Shino…can I ask you for a favor and I'll owe you big time?" I ask, looking to him. He nods once. "Do you think that your beetles could detect someone else's chakra within another person? So…say I flood some of my chakra into Izanagi's system without doing it like a transfusion, could they pick that out?"

"I believe so." He says and I nod. If Sasuke has a seal on him...would the other person's chakra be able to be detected when it isn't activated? "Why do you ask?"

"When my brother gets here, I need you to find out if someone else's chakra is in his system…because I have a theory. Keep this only amongst us. I trust all of you." I say and he regards me…or at least I think he is because I can't really see behind those sun glasses. "Someone is trying to take him away from me by promising him unimaginable power. He plans on giving that to him through a seal on his neck. I plan on talking with Kakashi-sensei, but I want to formulate a plan on my own….just in case."

"I will keep you updated." He says and I feel just a little bit relieved. "Over the years, I've noticed that you're only truly happy when you aren't concerned for his wellbeing." I'm truly shocked at that. "As my friend, I wish to help you in any way that I can."

"Shino…" I say softly. Kiba is looking at him, confusion clear on his face. "Thank you…that really means a lot to me."

"We will help in any way that we can." Hinata says, sitting down beside me…shyly. "You have always worked hard to make sure that everyone else around you was doing alright…Whether it be me being teased for being shy or Sakura…you've always helped us."

"She's right! You can count on us!" Kiba exclaims and Akamaru yips his agreement. "I've always respected you because I knew that you could kick my butt if you really wanted to."

"Oh that's not totally true." I say and then I laugh. "Man…you guys really know how to cheer someone up."

"You're too pretty not to smile." Junichi says and I shake my head. "What? It's true. That Lee kid is in love with you because you've got such a great smile."

"No. He is infatuated with me due to…I don't even know, man." I shake my head. "I don't know what to do…"

"Eh, the fake boyfriend schtick seems to be working. The way I see it, he's Shikamaru's problem now." Izanagi says and I laugh.

"Poor guy. How does he even stand being my friend?" I hold my stomach as it hurts from my laughter.

"You're not that bad." Shikamaru says as he and his team walk in. Ino's eyes scan over me. "Ribs?"

"Healed nicely, thanks." I say, patting the formerly afflicted area. "I'm glad you missed the party though. Junichi nearly wet his pants."

"I'm sorry. When your team mate and sister for all intents and purposes stops breathing, that's a bit concerning." He says sarcastically and I smile, glad that all is forgiven.

"Eh." I say, waving it off. "We were two feet from the medics." More like thirty feet, but who's counting?

"Now he's really going to want to marry you, Minako." Ino says with an almost sinister grin. "To make sure he can keep an eye on you."

"But Ino…you're the one who holds my true affections." I say, clasping my hands and staring at her with 'fan girl' eyes. "I'm the twin who likes long hair." A joking wink. Kiba looks between the two of us, flabbergasted. Oh yeah, he's never seen me like that. Hinata giggles and I grin. "What Kiba? Girls can think other girls are hot without it being romantic. We need to empower each other, not tear each other down. Like Hinata is one of the fucking cutest people I've ever met." The girl's face burns with embarrassment.

"Minako Uchiha….unapologetically herself." Izanagi says and I laugh, throwing my head back. I really do feel a lot better.

"Minako Uchiha, secret sadist." Shikamaru says and I give him a look. "It takes you less than a second to make someone come undone. I'd hate to see you in action when you get older."

"Did you just call me hot?" I ask, tilting my head to the side. I look to Ino and she's covering her mouth, laughing. "Ha! What did I tell you?" He rolls his eyes, agitated. "It's alright if you think I'm cute. You aren't bad looking. Give it a few years and up your strength training and dare I say you may even be a stud."

"Now you're just trying to embarrass me." He says with another roll of his eyes. It's amused though, not agitated.

"Do they always flirt like this?" Kiba asks Choji who just shrugs. Is this flirting? I never really thought of it that way.

"Itachi did always accuse him of liking me. Since I was the only person he ever bothered to tease." I say and nobody looks it, but I feel the discomfort at the mention of my older brother. "There was this one time, my dad smacked the shit out of me…split my lip and everything, so Itachi and I were going off to train somewhere together. Pineapple head was walking the opposite way with his dad and as per usual he had to make a comment. So I made up a lame excuse about it being a training accident and he gave me some salve to help it heal. From that moment until…well yeah, he teased me mercilessly daily. He took his big brother job very seriously." Shikamaru looks shocked. "What? I thought you knew…It was my own fault. I yelled at him and told him that I'd happily die for my brothers and he didn't like that I wasn't a submissive daughter."

"I didn't think that any of the main shinobi clans were actually like that." Kiba says, looking disconcerted.

"There's no need to worry now. For all intents and purposes, I am the head of the Uchiha clan and what I say is do whatever you want as long as you aren't a dick." I say and then I smirk. "You four should consider yourselves lucky." I look between Shikamaru, Shino, Kiba, and Choji. "Had your parents' will been weaker, you could've ended up stuck with me for life." Then I stroke my chin. "Another kid was briefly considered…what was his name…he was a Hyuuga."

"Neji?" Hinata asks softly and I snap, nodding. "Oh dear…" She looks amused. "I fear that the two of you would clash a great deal."

"That's why Kiba got kicked out of the running right away." I say and the boy actually pouts. "Father always tried to play my strong personality to his advantage which is why….never mind." I clam up.

"He had someone actually picked out, didn't he?" Izanagi asks. "Now I'm really curious."

"Eh, nobody really cares about it." I say, waving a hand in dismissal. He looks at me for a moment before he tackles me and starts tickling me. A high pitched squeal followed by laughter escapes from my mouth before I throw a well-placed punch and kick him off of me.

"Who was it?" He asks, standing up and wiggling his fingers at me menacingly. I glower at him. This could be a good chance to embarrass Shikamaru. The question is, do I want to save my material?

"It would be interesting to see which one of us would have been stuck with you." Shino says and I snicker.

"The Nara men are notorious for marrying women who are very abrasive." I say and then I hum. "I believe Shikaku declined."

"That makes sense now." Shikamaru says and I raise an eyebrow in question. "He told me to look out for you."

"So THAT'S why you're my friend…because your dad told you to." I say with a smirk and he rolls his eyes.

"Eh, it's not so much that. It's more that you make it easy for people to care about you. Even if you are an asshole eighty-six percent of the time." He says and I force tears to my eyes as I put a hand over my heart.

"Shikamaru…I can't even begin to explain how incredibly sweet that was." I say and he rolls his eyes. Of course he wouldn't fall for it.

* * *

When I wake up, I'm really warm. I almost decide to go back to sleep…almost. But then I hear my name.

"He totally likes her." Kiba says and I keep my breathing even and deep. "It's so obvious. And I thought the fan boys were bad."

"Kiba…" Hinata says softly. "It isn't v-very nice to make assumptions like that." I am loving how much more confident she is…

"In case you hadn't noticed, Hinata, he slept right beside her. Also, his scent was all over her when they first got here." He says and Ino chuckles. It's a thoughtful and devious noise.

"Ino, that's the sound you make when you want to meddle. Minako has warned us of this." Izanagi says and I smile to myself…my back is facing them anyhow. Apparently my back is also to Shikamaru's…That's why I'm so warm.

"I don't WANT to meddle, but they're both so insanely stupid when it comes to their feelings that it's cruel not to intervene." She says and Shikamaru makes an agitated noise.

"If you don't shut up, you're going to wake her up." He sounds agitated. "A guy goes to sleep and all of a sudden he's being talked about."

"You're the one who laid right beside her." Ino says and I can just see her putting her hands on her hips. I don't sense Junichi, Choji, or Shino…they must be getting food or something.

"I shouldn't have to explain this." He grumbles, sitting up. "When she was staying with my family I discovered that she has nightmares. I asked Sasuke about it later and he said that she sleeps better when someone is close by."

"Oh." Ino sounds concerned now. I sigh and sit up. Izanagi looks sheepish and I give him a look.

"I'm not the only shinobi ever to have nightmares. Don't make it out to be a big deal." I say and then I rub my eyes. "Speaking of shinobi, the five of you really need to work on your quiet voices. Well, not you Hinata. You do just fine. It's that loud-mouth you're teamed up with."

"Hey." Kiba says, glowering at me. I smile sweetly and his cheeks turn pink. "How do you do that?"

"Kunoichi." I gesture to myself with my thumbs. "It's my job to exploit the stupidity of man."

"Isn't she lovely when she first wakes up?" Junichi asks as he walks in. He's got three plates. Izanagi stands up and takes two from him before he hands one to me. "Low blood pressure. A little demon, that one is."

"A little demon that'll feed you your intestines like spaghetti if you don't shut up." I mutter and Kiba laughs.

"Here Hinata." Shino says as he gives his teammate a plate. Kiba looks at him expectantly. He holds up a finger before he pulls a treat out of his pocket for Akamaru. I laugh.

"You win my favorite person of the day award, Shino." I say with a laugh. "Here Kiba, Jun got me too much." I sit cross-legged and set the plate down on the bed in front of me. He sighs before he walks over and sits down on the edge. I pick up the apple and take a bite. "Take the bacon, I hate bacon."

"Nobody's perfect, I guess." He says wistfully as he takes the bacon. I laugh. Where did anyone get the idea that I was perfect?

"You feeling alright?" Izanagi asks, concern filling his features. "You normally eat like a boy."

"I'm ninety-nine percent sure I've got more manners than an adolescent boy, Izanagi. You'll have to be more specific in your meaning." I say, raising an eyebrow at him.

"You're right, sorry." He says and then he clears his throat. "Minako, your appetite is usually more voracious than that of an adolescent boy experiencing a growth spurt. Are you feeling alright?"

"I'm alright. I eat considerably less when I'm still sleepy." I say and then I chuckle. "Itachi used to say the same thing. Well not exactly the same. But he claimed that I could eat three times my weight in my mother's curry. In my defense, though, it was damn good curry."

"Eating three times your own weight when you were that little would have been a normal amount of curry." Shikamaru says and I glare at him.

"I'll have you know that I'm naturally a little person! I have a theory on that if you ever care to hear it." I say and he shrugs.

"Why not? It's not like we've got anything to do." He says and I then understand that he's just bored.

"I'm going to make you a pocket set of shoji. You tend to annoy me more when you're bored." I say but then I shake my head. "Settle in, children, it's time for a lesson. Twins are rare for shinobi because usually one of them dies because the other is the one receiving most of the chakra. You lot are very lucky I'm as scrappy as I am, because I could have not existed. Sasuke hogged the chakra like he does all the freaking hot water."

"You sound like my sister." Kiba says and I shake my head. "There was also that look of intense rage like she gets sometimes."

"He's a fine shinobi, but he doesn't have any normal person common sense. You remove the shirt and place it in the basket. I'm not sure how someone who can pin a guy to a tree from sixty feet away without cutting him can miss a basket." I say and Hinata offers a shy laugh.

"I think I would be afraid of you if you were my sister." Choji says and I offer an innocent grin. "Don't get me wrong, I think you're great…but…."

"I'm only tough on him because he's an asshole. If I were your sister, I'd probably be the doting type." I say and then I chuckle. "Can you imagine me doting?"

"Creepy." Shikamaru says and I glare at him, but make a mental note to use that against him later.

"Yeah whatever." I say and then I decide I'm done eating. I hand the plate to Kiba. His cheeks turn pink again as our fingers brush. "Alright. I'm going to take a walk before I turn into a sloth." I hop up, reattaching my tanto before I head out. I really don't pay much attention to where I'm walking…but I find myself by the entrance to the temple. I wonder how Sasuke is feeling…if they've gotten their scroll yet… Suddenly the door bursts open.

"Help!" A shinobi from the hidden grass village shouts. He's supporting the weight of someone who is bleeding heavily. I rush over.

"Keep moving! I'll try to control the bleeding until we get to the hospital wing!" I'm speaking loudly, but my tone is calm and I am in control of the situation.

"Hang in there, Shu! Stay awake!" He shouts at his teammate who isn't even coherent. He's lost so much blood. We reach the hospital wing finally, but his heart stops.

"He's going into cardiac arrest." I say calmly to the medic who nods before he takes over. I back away…completely forgotten as they fight to save his life. I back into someone and battle instincts bring the kunai to my hand. A feminine hand catches my wrist.

"Hey, it's alright." It's the girl who woke Rock Lee up earlier. "What happened?" She looks concerned. I see her team approaching.

"Not a clue. These two came in, one was bleeding heavily and so I did what I could to help." I say and I hear a pained sob from the next room over. I look down at myself and sigh. I'm covered in blood. "I'd better go and get changed before my mother hens birth very large cows."

"Alright. I'll see you around." She says with a bright smile. "I'm Tenten by the way. It's nice to officially meet you."

"Same. Except I'm Minako, not Tenten." I say, offering a wave before I head off towards the bunk room we'd been inhabiting. Hinata gasps as I enter. "I don't want to talk about it." I say as I go over to where I'd dropped off my extra supplies. I locate the scroll with my change of clothes.

"Nice try, but you don't walk into a room full of friends covered in blood without answering questions." Junichi says and I give him a look.

"A kid just died, Jun. I really don't want to talk about it." I say and his demeanor changes. "But I guess I have to." I sit down and go to rest my head in my hands, but think better of it. "I was walking by the entrance when two shinobi burst in. One was bleeding heavily and so I tried to control the bleeding until we could get to the hospital wing. We made it…but as we got there he went into cardiac arrest and I don't know for sure, but I'm pretty sure he died. So I'm going to go and change now and try not think about it." I stand back up and head out of the room. I reach the girl's bathroom and strip down to my sports bra and shorts. I grab a paper towel and run hot water in the sink. I fold the towel over once before applying soap from the dispenser and dipping it into the water. I scrub at my skin. Don't think of that night. Don't think of Yoshino carefully removing the bloody clothes. How red the water was. I grip the edge of the sink. I take deep, measured breaths. Get it together, Minako. You can't go in there this freaked out. People die. That's my line of work. I wanted this. No matter how hard you try, sometimes the human body just cannot withstand some levels of stress. I grab a new paper towel and scrub the rest of the blood from my skin. I'm very careful to clean my hands….none left under my nails. I made that mistake that night. I lean against the sink. The porcelain is cool against my stomach. Focus on that.

"Minako?" Hinata asks and I look over. She has a towel. "I….I'm sorry. I just thought that…maybe you might…need some help washing your hair out." Her face is red.

"That'd be great. Thanks, Hinata." I say, cursing my shaking voice. I smile, trying to be reassuring. I go over to my scroll and unseal its contents. "Looks like I score preparedness points. I have a little bottle of shampoo. No conditioner, but at least there's a comb."

"I think it's really impressive how you are able to carry so much supplies." She says as she approaches, pushing up the sleeves of her jacket. I flip my hair over and we get to work. Once it's clean, I scrub it dry with the towel. "Good as new." I say with a grin. "Thanks for helping. It would have taken so much longer by myself." I dry off my shoulders and back before I pull on my fresh dress.

"No problem." She says and I can tell that she wants to ask a question, so I smile reassuringly. "Are you…alright?"

"I'll be honest…but only because it's you." I say and then I look around and sigh. "I've been thinking about my family a lot lately. And of course I'm always worried about Sasuke…but I'll be okay."

"I'm glad." She says shyly. I seal away my clothes before I give her a hug. She gasps a little in surprise.

"Sorry, needed one." I say and she gently hugs me back before I let go. "Alright, let's get back." We walk out of the bathroom together and go back to the bunk room. I sit down on the edge of the bed and flip my hair over, whipping Junichi with it before I comb through it. Once that side is done, I flip it back over and comb the top part before I put the comb into my pouch.

"That's all you do!?" Ino exclaims and I jump. "You have perfect hair all the time and you do absolutely nothing to it!?"

"Well I brush it." I say, blinking at her blankly. "And besides it's just hair. It's annoying more than anything. I just keep it long so that you don't confuse me for Sasuke."

"I don't think that's gonna happen." Kiba says and I raise an eyebrow. He shrugs and I return the gesture.

"Anyway, if it'll make you feel better Ino, I'll style it." I say and then I sit cross-legged on the bed. I think for a moment before I put my elastic on my wrist and gather part of my hair. I braid it and secure the end. "There, that's all you'll get out of me."

"You're incredible." She says, rolling her eyes. "I mean that in a good way, but I'm still mad."

"Shut up, Ino." I say, shaking my head. "You don't have to do half the shit you do to try and be beautiful. My secret is I give literally zero fucks about what I look like and I let people deal with that."

"Well, that's how ya do it." Izanagi says and then he reaches around and detaches my tanto. "You're grumpy, so Sasuke's list of things to do when Minako is grumpy dictates that you should get some sleep."

"I'm being perfectly clear. I'm only going to sleep because I want to." I say, giving him a deadly look as I lay down. "Got that?"

"Yeah, yeah. Shut up and go to sleep." He says, laying my tanto by the pillow. I smile and close my eyes.

* * *

Sasuke puts his hand on my shoulder as he returns. Whatever he did with Kakashi-sensei has left him extremely weakened….I'm concerned. Shino has just finished his fight with the boy Sasuke nearly killed in the forest. I need to ask Kakashi-sensei about it…because he obviously knows something. The knock-out preliminary rounds are hardly the time to do it...but it will happen. I will have my answers.

"It looks like they wanted to get the Uchiha out of the way." He says and I look up at the board. At least I'm not fighting someone from Konoha. I vault over the railing and land in the ring. My opponent is the guy I beat up in the forest.

"Oh hey, I remember you." I say pleasantly. He looks really mad…though I think I would be too. "I think it's really cool that you guys came back even though we got your scroll. Good luck."

"I won't underestimate you this time." He says and I slowly smile. I fall into my usual stance.

"Begin!" The proctor says and the guy runs at me. He holds senbon needles between his fingers as he thrusts his fist towards my face. I bend backwards, falling into a handstand where I kick his wrist. He drops the needles and we begin exchanging blows. He's fighting really hard now. He must have really underestimated me in the forest. He punches me in the face and I stumble backwards. He tries to get on top of me, but I duck around behind him.

"Now I'm mad." I say, activating my Sharingan. I use the side of my hand to hit him in the kidney. He hisses in pain and turns on me. I block his punch with my right forearm. He goes to punch with his other hand, but I grab his wrist and actually manage to throw him. He doesn't go very far, but it's pretty impressive none the less. He's up and on me. I back flip away, catching him in the chin with my foot as I go. I duck as he swings and land a hard blow in his stomach. I jump back as he slashes at me with a kunai. He throws it and I deflect it with my own, but it was a distraction. He punches me in the stomach. I breathe in. Here goes. I form the tiger seal, hold it to my lips and exhale. Several fireballs cause him to jump back. I burn his right arm, which appears to be his dominant. The smell of burned flesh assaults my nose, but I keep going. He swings wildly at me with his left fist. I duck, landing in a crouch as I form the hand seals. To him, it appears as though I disappear in a flurry of flower petals. I get around behind him and kick him down. I flip into the air and aim a kick at his stomach. He rolls last second and there are some little pebbles where my heel dug in. I continue my motion and sweep his feet. On his way down he throws senbon. I block with my right arm. I barely register the sting. He's back on his feet. I tear the needles out and throw them away. "Poison? Oh come now." As I take a few steps backwards I draw the poison out of my wounds using the medical technique I learned literally a week ago. The purple liquid comes out of the wounds and I flick it on the ground in between us. "I can tell you're getting tired, so let's get this over with. You've done really well." I hear Sasuke snicker. I draw my tanto. Due to my patronizing speech, he's angry and irrational. He's slashing wildly with kunai and I'm deflecting easily. This won't end unless he's unconscious. I know what I need to do. I let him knock my tanto away. I grab his wrists and head butt him as hard as I can. His eyes roll back as they fall closed and he falls to the ground like a sack of potatoes.

"Winner, Minako Uchiha." The proctor says and I collect my tanto before I go back to my friends. Medics carry my opponent out of the room.

"Most youthful, Minako!" Rock Lee exclaims and I offer a polite smile. "The way that you showed him who was the boss was most admirable!"

"It's his own fault for trying to treat her like light work in the forest." Junichi says with a smirk. "She kicked his ass then too."

"Yup! Then she scrambled the eggs of his buddies!" Izanagi chirps and I shake my head at their bragging. "I should clarify, she used some sort of genjutsu that really scared them."

"I may aim low, but I'm not heartless." I say and Ino laughs. Kenta-sensei pats me on top of my head affectionately and I smile.

"What was that technique you used to get the poison out of your system?" He asks and I feel embarrassed.

"It was medical. I only got that far in my book. You know what pisses me off? I think the next section I was about to start working on was mending bones." I say and Junichi pats my arm. Kenta-sensei looks surprised. "We can talk later?" It's a hopeful statement.

"Fine." He agrees with a nod. "I'm impressed with you." I feel my cheeks heat up. No one has ever said that before…no one who I actually held as an authority figure.

"Eh, you know. There's nothing that makes someone successful quite like hard work and a lot of coffee." I say and he chuckles.

"Corrupting the youth of the Hidden Leaf." Asuma-sensei mutters with a shake of his head. "At least you finally taught her how to properly head butt someone." A guy from the sand is fighting now. He's from the team with the kid who looked like he wanted to kill me during the first part of the exam. I lean against the rail, leaning my head over just as Sasuke takes up residence right next to me. Perfect timing. Puppet Boy wins and I look to the screen. Ino and Sakura…I look at the two girls and they look stunned. I have no idea who to encourage.

"Come on you guys…compete for my love." I say, deciding on being weird. Ino looks at me for a moment.

"Works for me, I guess. Get ready to lose, Sakura!" She exclaims and then they're in the ring. I look to the sky.

"You have a sick sense of humor, you know that?" I say before I grip the railing. Their fight begins and I clench my jaw. I feel a hand next to mine and I glance over. Shikamaru. Sasuke is on my other side.

"The three of you were pretty close, weren't you?" He asks and I shrug. Before the massacre, I was pretty involved with the girls in my kunoichi class. Ino had always had that commanding air about her that I liked and I thought that Sakura had pretty hair. Things just got weird as we got older because of their feelings for Sasuke. "I just wish it hadn't been those two. This is gonna take a while."

"They're not really going for it." I say and he hums. This will either be the kind of thing where it goes until they tire each other out…or they're going to have to actually start fighting. I hear Neji Hyuuga make a comment and my knuckles turn white as my grip on the rail tightens. Wanna say that a little louder? Ino goes to punch her, but then she slaps her. "Come on Ino!? A bitch slap?! Get serious! You guys are better than this!" I'm not going to have a snooty bitch like Neji judge all women based on a fight between friends. I glance at Sasuke. "Don't you say anything either."

"I wasn't going to." He says and I hum. The fight takes a turn then…growing more serious. They move their headbands from their usual places to their foreheads….fighting as Hidden Leaf kunoichi now…not just as Sakura and Ino. As the fight goes on….and on…and on, I lean against Sasuke's arm more heavily. I'm exhausted…I don't know how, but I definitely am. "Why don't you sit down?"

"Because two of my very best friends are down there and they both need my support." I say stubbornly. I am a little sore too, but they're more important to me. I flow chakra to the worst of it and it's a little better.

"How are you even with me!?" Ino yells, clearly getting more and more pissed with each passing blow.

"Well Ino, while you've been worrying about your hair I've been training." Sakura says and I see the cord snap within Ino. She pulls the kunai and cuts her hair.

"I don't need this!" She yells, throwing it on the ground in front of her. I stare, wide-eyed and open-mouthed.

"She's lost her damn mind…" I say, my hand going to my own hair. I almost feel like I should cut it as a show of support…not right now of course. Nah…I'd look like Sasuke. Ino goes to use the mind transfer technique. "Okay, now I'm convinced." Shikamaru is having an internal spaz attack next to me and I put a hand overtop his. Wait a minute….Ino isn't stupid, even if she is crazy. Sakura starts running and Ino goes for it. Her body goes limp and she falls to her knees. Sakura stops.

"How very unfortunate." Sakura says with a smirk but then she tries to move and she can't.

"That's genius." I say, looking at Shikamaru. "She's not a dummy, you dummy. She knew that she couldn't hit Sakura without immobilizing her!"

"You're trapped with a special rope made from my hair with chakra running through it!" Ino exclaims snottily. They don't have to be brats. Sakura tries to move but she can't. "Those seals earlier? It was all an act." She makes them again. "Now this time for real. Mind transfer jutsu!" She gets her…

"That's not going to last long." I say and Sasuke hums beside me. "Sakura's too much like me in the aspect of having a super sassy mind." Naruto starts hooting and hollering. Ino starts struggling to keep hold of the jutsu.

"Come on Sasuke!? What are you waiting for!? Sakura's part of our team!" Naruto yells at him and he looks irritated but he glances at me. I shrug. Who am I to knock supporting your own team?

"Sakura, take back control." His voice is even, but it carries. That does it and Ino releases the jutsu. It's actually kind of neat to see her spirit return to her body. "Now finish it, you've fought long enough." She either doesn't register the fact that Sasuke is cheering her on in his own way, or she's too in the zone to react. Both of them are panting…this isn't going to last that much longer. They're up and running at each other now. They both throw a punch and catch each other in the cheek…Sakura is down, but Ino isn't.

"Winner, Ino Yamanaka." The proctor says and Ino sways. Kakashi and Asuma-sensei go and collect their genin. Ino's out…but she'll be okay.

"Now you'll sit down." Sasuke says, authority in his tone and I raise both of my eyebrows at him. "Please." I jump on his back and he sighs. "Fine."

"I've gotta scope the competition. I did win, ya know." I say and he huffs. I lick his cheek.

"Weirdo." He says and I pout even though I know that he can't see it. By this point, he should know me well enough.

"Ah yes, but you're stuck with me forever. I'm sure that someone else would be willing to do the job." I say and I can sense Rock Lee's piqued interest at the notion. "I guess I'll have to get the twin brother applications out again."

"Still not how it works." He says and I snicker. The next fight is about to begin…what is the competition like?


	4. The Final Rounds

**Welcome to chapter 4! We finish up the chunin exams in this chapter, so I hope that you feel like I did them justice! As always, constructive criticism is greatly appreciated! I'm in the process of re-writing a bunch of stuff that I've written over the past year so feedback would be awesome! Anyway, enjoy the chapter!**

"Sasuke?" I ask softly as I approach him. He's sitting by the fire. Kenta and Kakashi-sensei are off discussing something…and the two of us are absolutely exhausted. My brother hums, looking up at me. I sit down beside him and lean my head against his shoulder. "I'm worried about you."

"You shouldn't be." He says, putting his arm around my shoulders and leaning his head against mine. "You don't give me nearly enough credit."

"And you give yourself way too much credit." I say dryly. "Maybe we should combine our opinions and you might find yourself someone in between that. I might be a little happier."

"I'll do my best." He says sarcastically. "If it's about the curse mark, you know that Kakashi sealed it."

"Okay, yes, but as cool and as powerful as Kakashi-sensei is that doesn't mean that there aren't people who are better at some things. You aren't dead yet, so I have a lot of faith in your teacher…but I'm worried about you because you can be a really big moron sometimes and you jump in way over your head." I say and he bristles, but then he relaxes.

"If it makes you feel any better, I worry about you as much if not more than you worry about me." He says and I smile. "You're so tiny, I worry that Junichi's going to sit on you or something."

"He has threatened it." I say and he shakes his head. "But I do alright for myself. I mean, you've seen me in a serious fight now. I do what it takes to come home."

"I know." He says with a nod. "And I do the same. We've always said it…we're a family. We've got to do what we can to keep it together."

"Yeah." I smile softly. "I'm proud of you…I know that it might not mean much since I'm just a girl and all…"

"Shut up." He says and I hear the eye roll. "You're more manly than some of the assholes I've met."

"I may cry." I say, wiping away some fake tears. "Junichi once said that I was too much of an asshole for anyone to ever want to date. I punched him in the face."

"I count on you being too much of an asshole. It'd be such a pain to have to hate someone that much." He says and I glower at him.

"You hate everyone anyway." I say and he offers a fair enough look. "Well, I shouldn't say that. You're very obviously fond of Naruto and Sakura."

"Obvious to who?" Kakashi-sensei asks as he and Kenta-sensei return. I can't help but snicker.

"Okay…so maybe you have to share half of your DNA with him and live with him to see it, but who's counting?" I ask and Kenta-sensei smiles. "Oh…Sensei, I'd like to run an idea by you."

"Alright, you have my attention." He says as he sits down. I pull out the scroll that contains the food that I brought and unseal it. I distribute, pursing my lips.

"So…how much do you know about Tsunade?" I ask and he doesn't seem to know where I'm going with this.

"The basic stuff probably…she's one of the most talented medical shinobi there ever was. She's been estranged from the village for a long time. Why?" He asks and I smile.

"Well…as I'm sure it's every young kunoichi's dream to be just like her…She's been my inspiration for as long as I can remember. She didn't create the seal that I'm talking about, but I'm eighty-nine percent sure that Mito Uzumaki also had the seal…anyway." I shake my head. "I want to start working on the Strength of a Hundred seal, but some of the stuff I've been reading is a little advanced for me. So I wanted to know if you could help me…or at least point me in the right direction."

"Tell me a little more about it." He says and I take out my notes. He isn't asking because he doesn't know a little something, he wants to know what I know.

"So the seal itself is more like a reservoir…storing chakra behind a certain point on your body. Once you've stored up enough you'll be able to release the seal and your techniques will be amplified one hundred fold…hence the name." I say, pushing my hair behind my ears as I read over what I have. "In theory it's a simple concept…like a chakra training exercise, but there is a lot more to it than that. I'm at about ninety-six percent efficiency with my chakra output and so I'm pretty sure I'll need to be completely efficient to accomplish this."

"Is that even possible?" Sasuke asks and I look over at him. He looks confused. I guess I've never been exactly open about this kind of stuff.

"If Lady Tsunade can do it, I don't see a reason why I can't." I say and something changes in his expression. "I know you don't like talking about him….but He told me that I could do it…I could be as great as her. He left us alive and so I'm going to do it just to throw it in his face that I didn't need his support."

"But if you do medical stuff, couldn't you just work at the hospital or something?" He asks and that pisses me off.

"And couldn't you just stand by and guard the gate?" I ask, tilting my head to the side. "Because I mean, the Sharingan is super cool and you can catch little stuff that some people can't."

"Okay. I get it." He says dryly. "You can't blame a guy for trying." I give him a look. "But you will."

"You are so lucky I forgot my hot sauce." I say, shaking my head. "Anyway, shut up. I'm trying to talk with my sensei." Kenta-sensei looks amused.

"Focus more on what we're learning here right now. After the final round, I'll see what I can come up with. I must say, I didn't expect being a sensei to be this much work." He says and then he affectionately pats me on the head. "But I'm glad that I got three students so eager to learn. Was there anything else in those notes of yours?"

"Uh…" I say, looking over them. "Nothing I care to divulge with my mother hen of a brother right here." Then I'm being tackled and he's reaching for the notes. "Oh stop it! I'll say it! Jeez." I tickle his sides and he jumps back. I glare at him before I sigh. "It can be dangerous…because you are diverting a portion of your normal chakra supply…so that isn't available to you. I was thinking that if I used my Sharingan less, then it wouldn't be so taxing and I'd still be able to use my other techniques like the fire stuff and what not." I wave a hand dismissively. "I'm fairly confident that I can solve most of the problems if I stare at the paper long enough. Also, if I get stuck I'll ask that asshole of a best friend of mine for some insight. He's pretty smart when he's not being lazy."

"Alright…and if you rely more on Izanagi and Junichi, then using your Sharingan less shouldn't impact our team's performance too heavily." Kenta-sensei says, stroking his chin thoughtfully. "I'm going to be annoyingly watchful, I hope you know."

"I wouldn't expect you to be any different, Sensei." I say with a smirk and he chuckles. "And I know that you trust that I'm not an idiot."

"Of course not. You've got too much to prove to yourself to let yourself be dumb." He says and I smile.

"You're going to give me gray hair." Sasuke says with a sigh. I snicker…because Kakashi-sensei.

"Then I could cut my hair short because we wouldn't look too much alike! I'm a genius!" I exclaim and he looks to the sky…probably wondering how he got so lucky to have a sister like me. "Don't worry, your idiotic tendencies more than get me back for making you worry."

"Shall we talk strategy now?" Kenta-sensei asks and I nod, taking a drink from my canteen. "You're up against Ino, what's going through your mind?"

"Don't get pinned. Don't fall for any mind games. She has a slower reaction time when you come at her from the left. Keep a cool head. If I can figure out the right sort of genjutsu, I could incapacitate her in…four and a half minutes." I say and he nods.

"Shino." He says and I purse my lips. How could I take him down? The parasitic insects will be a big problem.

"Aburame. Defeat them before they drain you. Hit fast. Hit hard. Most importantly, kill it with fire." I say and he nods again.

"Shikamaru? Can you honestly tell me you'll be willing to beat up your best friend?" He asks and I grin.

"He's tricky. I used to be a lot stronger than him, but ever since I pinned him and he couldn't push me off he's taken his strength training very seriously. He always thinks at least fifteen moves ahead and he knows my strengths and weaknesses very well. The best plan for defeating a Nara is to not have a plan." I say and he offers a fair enough look.

"Okay and what about that girl from the Sand. Temari." He says and I know that the look of distaste flickers across my face.

"Projectiles and fire won't work. She is highly intelligent…that much is obvious, but I think I could get her in a genjutsu." I say and Sasuke shakes his head. "What? She's an asshole. Even when it's a different village, you don't disrespect your opponent in a match like that. I meant it when I told my guy that he did a good job. She's in the same boat as Neji freakin' Hyuuga. Sexist son of a bitch."

"About that guy. What if you have to fight him?" He asks and I chuckle, shaking my head. "Oh?"

"Naruto's going to kick his butt. That crap Neji was spewing about fate when he defeated Hinata…it's going to be what causes him to lose. He thinks he's better than Naruto and that's not true at all. He's a goof ball…but he made a promise and if there's anything I know about Naruto Uzumaki it is that faith in his word means more to him than anything." I say and Sasuke smiles a little. "HA! Told ya he was your best friend."

"Shut up." He says, elbowing me. "Since when do you have strategies for people? I thought you were the point and throw type."

"Contingency plans. My strategy for defeating you is telling you about all of the close calls I've ever had. You'd pass out before I made it through half of the list." I say and Kenta-sensei looks amused.

"Okay, that's enough play. Show me what else you've been working on." He says and I stand up, stretching before I jog over to a good place. It's far enough away that they're out of harm's way.

"It's like my great fireball technique, but a little hotter." I say as I take out three kunai. My ninja wire is attached to them. I throw them and they bury themselves in the rock. I form the seals: snake, dragon, rabbit, and tiger. I take in a big breath and when I release the breath three fireballs take the form of dragons as they travel down the wire and to the rock which then turns into molten rock. "Not very practical for the exams, but that'll be one hell of a shock the next time some asshole thinks it's a good idea to underestimate me."

"Where the hell did you learn that?!" Sasuke exclaims and then he looks at Kakashi-sensei. "Why haven't you taught me anything like that!?"

"You have a Sharingan, get off your lazy butt and do something for yourself." I say, putting my hands on my hips. Kakashi-sensei nods and points at me.

"The girl speaks the truth. You never asked me to teach you anything like that." He says simply with a shrug. "And I'm teaching you a technique that I came up with on my own."

"Minako, you got me in trouble." Kenta-sensei says and I laugh. "Alright, time for some light training before bed time. We'll be back." He says as he gets up. I follow after him. We don't stop until the fire is a tiny dot in the distance. "Okay, so what's more important than being able to defend yourself?"

"Retreating." I say and he nods, sitting down. I sit down across from him. "Where are you headed with this?"

"Kakashi is teaching Sasuke a technique that he came up with and so I wish to bestow a technique upon you as well. Ninja art: smokescreen jutsu. You'd think that it would've been a thing before, but sometimes shinobi are stupid." He says and I tilt my head to the side. "You're not always going to have everything you need on you. Not that you use smoke bombs anyway…but some of your techniques are great for diversions. Like the phoenix flower jutsu…also the great fireball jutsu. Starting in the morning we're breaking off from those two with training. I'm pretty sure you know why we took you guys out of the village."

"Orochimaru." I say and he nods once. "I hate that man." I try to keep the negative feelings at bay so that Sasuke doesn't feel it.

"I know…and I know that you're worried about that. But I need you to focus on learning right now. So we'll start with some meditation. Close your eyes and listen only to my voice." He says and I nod, resting my palms on my knees and closing my eyes. I breathe deeply. "Picture yourself in an open field…there are oncoming forces and your team has no way except for fighting…but you're all wounded and greatly outnumbered. Imagine what that would feel like. Now…a fireball jutsu would toast them pretty well, but you need more cover in order to get your team to safety. Take a deep breath in, like you're going to perform the fireball technique…and release. Breathe in….release. Now imagine the smokescreen….visualize how big you want your coverage. Breathe in….and then you will release the cloud of smoke. Continue to breathe deeply and you will do it until you can see yourself executing this move."

"Alright, your mental training is done. Let's try it out." Kenta-sensei says and I open my eyes, a little confused. This is so abrupt. "You've got a lot of natural talent and so I'm not concerned. The seals are monkey, boar, rabbit, and tiger."

"Sensei are you sure?" I ask but then we're being attacked. I work through the seals as I jump to my feet and I exhale a thick cloud of smoke.

"What'd I tell ya?" He asks, clapping. "Thanks for the assist Kakashi. She never would've believed that I was attacking.

"You'd never kill the person who brought the coffee." I say dryly, looking around as the smoke clears. Sasuke and Kakashi-sensei are standing there, arms folded across their chests. "How was that for my first go?"

"I couldn't see a thing." Kenta-sensei says and Sasuke nods. "It's no Byakugan, but I'm sure you could use your Sharingan and you could make that a lead in to a pretty spectacular offensive move. We'll work with it the rest of the time we're here. But for now, endurance training! Yay! See you guys later!" And then we're running. "Kakashi's used to me for sure, but your brother is exasperated by me."

"My brother's barely used to me and we shared a womb." I say and he laughs. "So let me guess, you're going to try and wear me out and then spring taijutsu on me."

"I'm going to have to work on more ways to surprise you." He says and I shake my head. "We could just cut to the chase if you'd prefer. You're already as fast as your brother, if not quicker."

"Sensei, you're going to make me cry." I say, wiping fake tears away. Then I attack him. He grins like a maniac and the spar begins.

* * *

I would love to say that training for the final rounds of the chunin exams hasn't been nothing but brutal ass kicking's from my sensei, but I would be lying to myself. I'm walking back towards camp…I see Sasuke. He looks up and then deadly anger fills his expression. Sensei is going to attack. I draw my tanto and block his strike. He forces me down. I normally push back up. I'll try something new. I pull my tanto back and his own blade sticks into the ground. I grab his wrist and launch him over me with my feet. I use the momentum to roll back onto my feet, blade ready to defend myself. Usually he would let it go at such an artful display, but he's persistent this time.

"It's alright." Kakashi-sensei says, but I don't dare take my attention off of my own teacher. "She only looks like she's going to kill him because he's been annoying."

"Oh come now, Kakashi. You know the only way she'd even have a prayer of defeating me in a spar is if she used deadly force." Kenta-sensei says and for some reason that makes me really angry. "She's puny. It's not like she can do that much damage."

"I'll show you puny, Old Man!" I shout and then I run at him. I spin to swing into my blow, putting as much momentum as I can behind it. He hits my wrist and my blade flies off. I draw a kunai with my right hand and bring it in for a strike. He blocks and I punch his stomach with my left fist, enhancing the blow with chakra.

"You lack passion. You're never gonna beat someone like me with that kind of attitude." He says, sounding especially cruel. "The only hope you have is using that new technique."

"Screw you! I'll defeat you without it!" I back off, but only to think. He stands there, looking smug. Kenta-sensei is a specialist…he's never said it, but I'm pretty sure he was in the Anbu black ops at one point or another. Nobody is undefeatable though…he's got to have a crack in his armor. He's mastered fire, wind, and earth techniques. I could try to throw him off….but I've never actually tried to use chakra scalpels before…

"I'm getting old over here!" He calls, but I don't react. "It's alright if you can't think of anything. I am a pretty big deal."

"You think." I say dryly. "You've lost your edge now because I've calmed down enough to realize what you're doing. Once I figure out what I'm going to do you're going to regret calling me puny."

"I don't doubt it, Kid." He says and then he chuckles. "You know, I always wanted kids. I never see it happening now that I'm old, but I'm glad I at least got to pass down my jutsu legitimately."

"It's a good technique." Kakashi-sensei says and I can only imagine that he copied it. "Sasuke, you know her well. What's she going to do?"

"That's like asking for a time when you haven't been late." Sasuke says dryly. "She's full of surprises." That's when it hits me. Kenta-sensei is paying attention to those two. I rush over and he barely has time to try and fend me off. I start tickling.

"It was a solid attempt, but I'm not ticklish." Sensei says as he sets me back down. "We can try this again later if you're not feeling up to it. I know you're tired."

"That's where she picked that up from." Sasuke says, understanding filling his tone. "She never used to trash talk."

"It's a good strategy. You rile them up and they start making mistakes. That's partially why she was able to advance." He says and then I draw back and punch him as hard as I can in the stomach, chakra behind my blow. He flies back and lands on his butt. I stand with my hands on my hips.

"Not a solid victory, but I knocked you on your ass." I say, offering the seal of reconciliation. He accepts it and I help him up.

"Eh, I'll take it. That was a good hit. If you hit like that all the time, you wouldn't need to head butt anyone." He says and I shrug.

"Even though it recycles back into my network, I used a lot of chakra in that." I say and he hums. "What?" Sasuke and Kakashi are talking now…too far away for me to hear.

"Nothing. Take a ten minute break and then we're heading out." He says and then he holds up a finger and pulls out a scroll. "Also, I got you a present. I figured you'd be mad at me for teaching you a technique almost exclusively used for tactical retreating."

"Not at all, but thank you." I say as I accept the scroll from him. I unseal it and it's a katana. I look up at him.

"You surpassed any expectations I had for you with the tanto and so I thought I'd get you something else to train with so you didn't get bored. I'm getting an old buddy of mine to teach me a technique to teach you." He says and that makes me feel a little emotional. "You've got some real talent, Kid."

"Thank you, Sensei." I say, my voice quiet. I can't help that my eyes tear up. "You know…my father never wanted me to be like this. He wanted me to know enough about my family's techniques to be able to teach my children…but that's it. No matter how much I tried to impress him…he was always angry that I was being successful. I kind of shut down after the incident…through the Academy. I focused on learning what I needed to in order to be the best genin I could be. You're the first person I've held as a power of authority who has believed in me and pushed me to be even better and I will never be able to repay you for that." My voice is shaking with my effort not to actually cry. "I am deeply honored to be your student."

"And I am honored to be the sensei of the next Lady Tsunade." He says and that breaks my dam.

"Damn it, Sensei!" I shout, wiping my eyes. "You did that on purpose!" He pats the top of my head affectionately.

"It's okay to have emotions as long as they don't cloud your judgement in the field. That's one of my stretch goals as your teacher….letting you know that it's fine." He says and then he looks up at the sky. "You ready?"

"Yeah, I just need to say goodbye to Sasuke." I say, slinging the katana across my back. I jog over and jump on his back. "Hey, I'm heading out. Try not to be too much of an asshole to poor Kakashi-sensei."

"I'll do my best." He says with a roll of his eyes…so I lick his cheek. "Who are you going to annoy while I'm gone?"

"I'll figure something out like I'm sure you will. Be safe." I hop down, offer a wave to Kakashi-sensei and then I jog back over to my own sensei. "Ready."

"Alright, let's go." He says and we're off. We make it back to the village in record time. "I'm going to train the boys a little bit for this last week. Since Asuma's students are training with their fathers, he's offered to give you supplemental taijutsu lessons if you want them. You've got a week of training left." He says and then we see the aforementioned man….walking with Shikamaru.

"I'll make it count. Now go make sure the boys are ready to be chunin with me." I say and he grins.

"Will do. Keep up with your mental training as well as the physical stuff. Meditation before bed and when you wake up. Got it?" He asks and I salute.

"Yes, Sensei!" I say and he smiles before he pats me on the head and heads off. Shikamaru and Asuma-sensei approach then. "Hey Shikamaru, check out these biceps. I'm pretty sure I could crush your head from flexing alone."

"Not quite, but you do look a lot more muscular. You might finally be a solid one hundred pounds." He says and I punch him in the shoulder. "Hey, take it easy."

"You're the one who started throwing insults. And here I was genuinely happy to see you after a month of intense training." I say, putting my hands on my hips. "I'd love to say that it was easy and I didn't get my ass kicked every single day…but then I'd be lying to you."

"Knowing you, you handled it well." He says and I shake my head. He had to go and piss me off. "What's that?"

"My people call it a katana." I say sarcastically. "And it was a gift." I end the discussion there because I don't want to talk about it. I might cry again. "Now Asuma-sensei…Kenta-sensei mentioned supplemental taijutsu lessons? If he was just talking out of his ass again, let me know."

"No, I offered." He says, lighting up one of his cigarettes. "We can start whenever you're ready."

"I just need to refill my canteen and I'm good to go." I say and Shikamaru shakes his head. "And what more could you possibly have to say?"

"I get tired just watching you." He says and I smirk. "Alright. I'm leaving now. Good luck with your training."

"Don't shirk on your own training! It'd be so embarrassing for you if we had to face each other and I beat you…again!" I call after him. "I recommend exercises to build up your chakra!" I wave patronizingly. "Alright, now training." Asuma-sensei chuckles before we head to the training grounds.

* * *

Tomorrow is the day…I've had my ass thoroughly kicked enough that I feel like I've learned a thing or two. As I look up I realize that I've made my way to the hospital. I want to make sure that Rock Lee is okay…because he did go to Sakura's aid and by extension, my brother's. There is no one at the front desk when I walk in, so I push my chakra out in search of him. I head up to the second floor and knock on the door.

"You may enter." Lee says and I open the door. "Minako! No! You must not see me like this!" He exclaims, trying to sit up.

"Lee, stop." I say, walking over and gently pushing him back down. His cheeks turn pink. "I uh…know a little bit about medical ninjutsu and I wanted to see how you were doing. I feel like I owe you for jumping in when Sakura was defending Sasuke and Naruto by herself."

"Please do not think that you owe me anything, Minako. It is my genuine pleasure to be able to help in any way that I can." He says and I smile. "Are you alright?"

"Dead on my feet. I've been training really hard for the finals tomorrow." I say and then I shake my head before sitting down.

"I know that you will be wonderful." He says, certainty all over his tone. "It is rare that you see such tenacity in someone like you."

"Someone like me?" I ask, wondering what he could possibly mean by that. "What do you mean?"

"To the unassuming shinobi you are not a threat. It takes a keen eye to see true talent…most people do not have that eye. Guy-sensei said that you are a favorite to win in your fight against Ino." He says and I sigh.

"I wish I were fighting that Temari girl. I'd really give her what for. It was disgraceful the way she treated Tenten." I say, my hand balling into a fist. "I want Shikamaru to kick her ass, but I can see him dropping out because he's so lazy and he hates fighting women…So I may get my wish after all."

"It is my most sincere hope that you do not have to face Gaara." He says and I look at him. That's when I detect the most foul chakra I have ever encountered. I stand up so fast the chair falls over. My tanto is drawn as I stare down Gaara.

"It looks like you spoke a little soon, Lee." I say and his hand clutches at my right wrist. "What are you doing here? You have no business in this hospital, so you should go back to your lodging." I'm in diplomatic mode.

"Get out of my way." Gaara rasps, sounding like he's been fighting a battle for several hours. "He is a failure, I do not understand why so many people feel the need to protect him." I know what he wants now. I need to subdue him. Lee lets go of my wrist, sensing that I have made a decision. I push forward, ready to strike, but I get pushed into the wall by a small wave of sand. My feet dangle and the pressure increases on my throat. My tanto clatters to the floor as I claw at the offensive earth. "You are going to die! Both of you!" The sand is starting to close around Lee who can't fight him off. Suddenly, Gaara stops moving. Naruto punches him in the face.

"Naruto you idiot! I'm using my shadow possession. When you hit him, you're walloping me too." Shikamaru says, irritated. He glances over his shoulder. "Minako, are you okay?"

"Yeah, it's not crushing my wind pipe anymore." I say, breathing a little easier. "Be careful, he's…disturbed."

"Disturbed?" Gaara asks and then he tells basically his life story…I really feel for him. I can see Naruto falling to pieces though…what is going on in his head? Suddenly…the sand is pushing again.

"Naru-!" My voice gets choked off as the sand pushes down and I really can't breathe. The door opens again.

"Alright! That's enough!" Guy-sensei says, his voice full of authority. "Save it for tomorrow, you'll be wasting it today. Is that what you want?" The sand starts to recede and I fall to the ground, coughing. Shikamaru is at my side. The tears come of their own accord. I'm shaking. I haven't felt like this since…Itachi.

"I don't know how to…" Shikamaru starts and a green blur replaces him in front of me. I look up with wide eyes.

"Your name is Minako, right?" He asks and I feel my head move in a nod. "Can you tell me what happened?" I nod again, and try to get a hold of myself. I'm not dead. I can breathe.

"I was visiting…and he came in. I tried to stop him but…the sand." I say, my voice sounds pathetic to me. "He wanted to finish what he started in the preliminaries. Then the rest of it was Naruto and Shikamaru trying to stop him."

"Alright, we'll have someone check out your neck then the three of you should get some rest. You've got a big day ahead of you tomorrow." He says and I shake my head.

"Thank you, Guy-sensei, but it's fine." I say, focusing my chakra into my hand to check over my neck. "He didn't do any real damage."

"Is she not amazing, Guy-sensei!?" Lee exclaims from his bed and I smile weakly before I allow him to help me stand. "She was able to teach herself medical ninjutsu! That is the definition of youth! Minako Uchiha!"

"Watch it, buddy." Shikamaru says, moving to stand beside me. Guy-sensei and Lee go on about rivals. "Ah, we're going to go now." The three of us skedaddle.

"Shikamaru….Minako….you two aren't…" Naruto looks between the two of us and I regard him dryly. "Oh man." He reaches out a hand and touches my neck. "That's a pretty ugly bruise."

"I've had worse." I say with a shrug. "I'm alive and walking away from it of my own power. I tack that up as a technical victory."

"You're a lot more positive than Sasuke. That's for sure." He says and I chuckle. "I bet he's gonna be really mad when he sees that."

"Eh, we'll cross that bridge when we get there. I find that sometimes it's best to just let Sasuke throw his little fit and then tell him about it. Other times, bodily harm is the only way to get him to listen. I have to admit, it's getting more difficult as we get older. I am only a little girl after all."

"Yeah right." Shikamaru says and I grin. "Come over for dinner. I know for a fact you haven't been to the market all week."

"Stalker." I mutter and Naruto laughs. "Alright, if you're begging. Oh and Naruto…if you face my brother tomorrow, try to take it easy on him okay? His ego is so fragile."

"I'd only take it as easy as you would take it on him, Minako!" He exclaims and I hold out my hand for a high five. "Alright! I'll see you guys tomorrow!" He runs off then.

"So dinner?" I ask and he nods. "Last one there's a rotten egg!" I exclaim and then I run off in a burst of speed I didn't think I had left in me.

"Hey! Minako!" He yells after me, but then I feel his chakra getting closer. I laugh, pushing myself to go faster. I stop abruptly on the roof of the house across from his and he slams into my back. His eyes widen, but he reacts quickly. Wrapping his arms around me, he twists so that I fall on top of him.

"We have got to stop meeting like this, Shikamaru." I say, resting my chin in my hand and looking down at him. I hear someone cackling wildly.

"Shut up Aunt Sachiko!" Shikamaru shouts, cheeks turning a little pink. I get up and offer the seal of reconciliation. He unquestioningly accepts it and I help him up.

"Oh don't mind me, I'm just a crazy old lady." Sachiko says, wiping tears from her eyes. "My nephew the hero….even though it was your fault."

"Nah, I should have called out a warning that I was stopping. I am a little too fast for him after all." I say and he glowers at me. "He probably got distracted."

"Probably." She agrees with a snicker. "Anyway, I was dispatched to find you or your father. I found you, so go talk to your mom." She turns and walks away. I shrug and Shikamaru leads the way inside.

"Mom? Is everything okay?" He asks as he walks into the kitchen. Yoshino is cooking as I normally see her doing.

"Everything's fine. I just need you to collect your father. He's out with Inoichi and Choza enjoying the festival. Minako, it's so great to see you. You're staying for dinner, right?" She asks, looking around her son and at me.

"Yeah, I commandeered her because she's been living off of ration bars for the past month and apparently this entire week that she's actually been back." Shikamaru rats me out and I glare at him.

"Then when you're out searching for your father, run by her apartment so she can grab her things for tomorrow. I'm not letting either of you go off to the final rounds without a good breakfast." She says and I open my mouth to protest. "It's best not to argue, dear."

"Only because I know you're more stubborn than I am." I say and she smiles at me. "Alright, I'll bite. Sasuke is still out with Kakashi-sensei anyway."

"Excellent. I'll have the guest bedroom ready for you when you two get back." She says and I smile. "Now get going, dinner is almost ready. Also, Shikamaru, if I find that you didn't carry her bag for her..." She lets the threat hang at the end of her sentence.

"Alright." He says and we're heading back out. "We'll go by your place first. There's no telling how long it could take to find Dad."

"Sounds good to me." I say and then I take the lead. We make it to my apartment pretty quickly. Then I realize that Shikamaru's actually never been here aside from the few times he's walked me home. I take my key out as I climb the stairs. My neighbor, Mr. Nakajima, is heading out. "Good evening, Mr. Nakajima. Are you heading out to enjoy the festival?"

"You betcha! I'm placing bets on you and your brother!" He exclaims and I smile. "The way the both of you train, there's no way I'd put money on anyone else."

"I'm honored that you're so confident in my abilities. I promise to do my best." I say and he laughs heartily. "Have a good night!"

"You do the same." He says and we continue on to my apartment. I unlock the door and lead the way inside.

"Mr. Nakajima used to be a shinobi, but he was injured too badly to continue his career. So now he's turned to gambling to pass his time." I explain as I check over the apartment.

"Interesting character." Shikamaru says and I chuckle before I go to my room. I empty out my backpack, aside from the scroll that I keep my hair brush and toothbrush in. I grab the fresh scrolls from my desk and place them inside. I grab pajamas and fresh clothes for tomorrow, folding them and place them inside. I adjust the sheathe of my katana comfortably across my back before I slide the blade into place. I check over everything again before I head out of my room and toss the bag to Shikamaru who is looking at the whiteboard hanging by the hallway leading to the front door. He catches it easily. "It's weird to think of Sasuke as not being an asshole."

"I wouldn't believe it myself if I didn't live with him." I say as I grab the marker, erase the previous message and scrawl where I'm at. "We use this to keep track of each other…We both get a little antsy when we don't know where the other is."

"Understandable." He says and then I smile at him. "You ready to go?" I nod and he heads towards the door. I lock it behind us and we head out into the street. He shoulders my bag. "This is pretty light."

"I keep everything in scrolls because I do pack so much." I say and he hums. "Any idea where your dad might be?"

"I have an idea, so we'll check there first." He says and I nod, falling into step with him. The sun is starting to set. I smile at the children running around playing ninja. Everyone is so excited for the final rounds…which I suppose is normal for a Hidden village. Shikamaru stops in front of a bar, sighs and then leads the way inside. I immediately spot Shikaku. "Hey Dad." He says, already sounding annoyed. "Mom sent me to get you. Dinner is almost ready."

"Come on, Son. Don't be such a drag." Shikaku says, very clearly drunk. "Huh? Who's this?" He squints at me.

"Really Dad? It's Minako." Shikamaru says, rolling his eyes so hard I felt the force of it without even having to look at him. "She's staying for dinner." Something flashes in Shikaku's eyes then.

"Waitress, I need a cup of coffee." He says, immediately sounding more sober. "You kids sit down for a minute." Shikamaru doesn't budge, but I roll my eyes and drag him around to the other side of the table where we sit down. "So what can you tell me about your injury?" He's regarding me. My hand goes to my neck.

"Some psycho from another village was trying to kill the person she was visiting at the hospital and she tried to stop him." Shikamaru explains, still sounding annoyed. "Naruto and I got there just in time."

"I can see that. When we get home, go to Sachiko and grab some of that salve. Should heal that right up." He says, sitting back. He nods his thanks to the waitress before he takes a drink from the coffee mug. "Minako, I'd like to introduce Inoichi Yamanaka and Choza Akimichi."

"You're the girl fighting my Ino." Inoichi says and I smile. "I hope you've been very productive this past month."

"I've done my best." I say with a smile. "Ino is a really good friend of mine and so I'd never short change her for a good fight. She'd never forgive me." He laughs heartily.

"Too true! It seems like it will be a good fight then!" He says and I smile. Suddenly someone bursts into the bar, chakra flared in a dangerous way. I'm on my feet before I consciously think about it. There are about ten other people, mostly shinobi, but there are a couple of kunoichi who responded the same way. My stance is one hundred percent Uchiha…the odd thing is that a shinobi is beside me, in a way that's good for supporting an Uchiha. He's familiar to me, but for what reasons….Itachi. This is someone who Itachi worked with very frequently. The threatening man deflates immediately as he sees all of us. I stand upright, looking up at the man with wide eyes.

"I guess it's easy to play Spot the Uchiha when you used to work with one." The guy says. "Itachi's little sister…Minako, right?"

"Yeah…I can't say I remember your name though." I say and he smiles. He's the same age as my brother…but his appearance is a lot warmer. My brother had the same complexion as me…this guy is very tan.

"Toshio Yoshida. Good luck in the exams tomorrow." He says and I nod before I go back over to sit beside Shikamaru.

"You okay?" Shikamaru has a hand on my shoulder. I regard him dryly, he had to go and embarrass me more. "What?"

"Itachi's a criminal, he's not dead. It's okay to talk about him." I say with a roll of my eyes. "He always said I was jumpy like I'd been a kunoichi for years upon years."

"You were quite hyperactive." Shikamaru says and I elbow him in the rib…probably a little harder than I meant to.

"You were a bully." I say and Shikaku raises an eyebrow, interested. "Your son, who cannot be bothered to do anything, always went out of his way to annoy the ever loving crap out of me. This happened until…well dang, it never stopped."

"That's not true, I don't go out of my way to do it anymore. You're much more convenient to annoy than you used to be." He says and I can't help but laugh. "It's not my fault you get so bent out of shape."

"If we didn't have the exams tomorrow, I'd show you bent out of shape." I say and that earns a good laugh from the three men in front of us. Shikaku finishes his coffee then.

"Alright gentlemen, it's time to go home and face the wife." He says as he stands up. Shikamaru and I follow his lead.

"I wish you the best of luck tomorrow." Choza says and I bow respectfully, smiling. I wish that my family could have been more kind like his. The Nara's and I move out...I'm in a district where it's okay for shinobi activity. So I need to be on the lookout for Kenta-sensei. No sooner than I think that, I sense his chakra. I double back and leap into the air to avoid his strike. It would be best to knock his tanto away. I very briefly stand on the blade and kick off of it to try and knock it from his hands, but he keeps a good grip. I land and sweep my foot, kicking up dust. I thrust my right hand out in front of me and flood chakra to that point. I push it past the confines of my finger tips and the dust particles sparkle. I use that distraction to lash out at him. He blocks and we exchange a few blows before I finally get around behind him. I am staying on his back by my legs alone with my tanto held to his neck.

"Sensei, that was really rude." I say as soon as he gives up. I jump down and tuck my blade away. He laughs.

"Very good. I'm happy to see that you perfected that tactic we talked about." He says as he marks something down in a small notebook. "You were my last stop for the evening. I believe that you are indeed ready for tomorrow."

"Well if you're sure." I say dryly. "Next time I won't go so easy on you, so I'd be extra careful."

"I look forward to it. Be sure to rest up tonight and I'll see you tomorrow." He says with a wave and then he's gone. I shake my head.

"Sorry about that. We couldn't simulate surprise attacks realistically enough for me in normal training and so that crazy guy attacks me randomly." I say and Shikaku chuckles. "Shikamaru nearly had heart failure the first time he experienced it."

"Well yeah, because he nearly took your head off." He says and I wave a hand in dismissal.

"It's how he expresses affection." I say and he shakes his head. "Anyway, we should be good for the rest of the way back. Asuma-sensei probably told him about the brutal beating that I took today. He can be a real hard ass when the person he's training is about it." Then I'm embarrassed for cursing in front of Shikaku.

"You're a hard worker, just like your mother was." He says and that surprises me. "If you don't mind my saying."

"No…I like hearing about her." I say with a smile. She always used to say that I got my spirit from her side of the family.

"Did Mrs. Uchiha break her ribs often?" Shikamaru asks his father and I shake my head at him. "Because I could tell you some stories about Minako."

"You have exactly one story where I broke my ribs in front of you and you didn't even see the worst of it, you're just being a troublemaker now." I say and Shikaku chuckles. We arrive back at their home and Shikaku leads the way inside. I follow Shikamaru back to the guest room where he dumps my bag on his bed. I remove my katana and tanto. "Her name was Mikoto…my mother. She wasn't nearly as formal as my father was."

"Okay." He nods. "Sorry, I didn't know." I smile and remove my weapons pouch before I place it beside my other weapons. "Why do you disarm anytime you go to dinner?"  
"Oh, it's my favorite way to annoy Sasuke. I deprive him of food until he doesn't have any weapons on him." I say and he shakes his head. "And it's a nice way to separate ourselves from work. Father always used to make us tell him what we did to improve our skills every single day. It would always start with Itachi and then end with me. Even though I was more skilled than Sasuke I was still considered less than him because I was a girl."

"Sounds like a real pleasant guy." He says and I smile a little. My father loved me…he really did.

"Grandfather was even harder on him than he was on us. I guess that he had to fight his brother for the leadership of the clan. While I was sort of a pawn, Father did love me and he just wanted me to be safe. Mother used to talk about how proud he was of Sasuke and I…our work ethics…" I say and then I shake my head. "The Uchiha clan was complicated."

"If it matters for anything, I'm glad that you're following your dreams." He says and my cheeks heat up. "I believe that's a win for me. I've never made you blush before." He's running then.

"Get back here Shikamaru Nara!" I cry as I take off after him. He laughs as he turns the corner. I tackle him and we slide across the floor, stopping in front of the entrance to the dining room. Shikaku looks very amused. "You may be bigger than me, but I'm faster than you. Remember that." My tone is a warning as I get up and offer my hand. He chuckles as he takes it and I pull him up.

"You can go ahead in. I'm going to grab that salve from my aunt." He says and I shrug before I go in.

"Yoshino, do you need any help?" I ask, approaching the kitchen portion. She looks up from what she's doing.

"I'm alright, go ahead and sit down." She says and I smile before I join Shikaku at the table. "Mind if I ask what that was about?"

"Your son thinks he's cute." I say dryly. "He took advantage of my aversion to compliments and thought he was just too funny."

"I'm learning about a completely different side to that son of mine." Shikaku says with a shake of his head. "Who knew he had a sense of humor?"

"If that's what you want to call it." I snort. I push out to find where his chakra is. He's far enough away. "He's funny sometimes, but I'll never admit it to his face."

"We won't tell." Yoshino says and I snicker. "You're a good influence on him…even if your methods are a bit sadistic. I can't say I disagree with them."

"I owe my successful motivation techniques to my dear sensei. Without him, I wouldn't be half the kunoichi I am today." I say with a smile. "He took me out of the village to train for the exams and let me tell you…it was brutal, but I'm a better person because of it. I'm stronger and more grounded."

"You have a concentration I rarely see in people your age." Shikaku says and that embarrasses me. "Your brother must be very proud of you."

"I've been teaching myself medical ninjutsu when I can't sleep at night and so he was really happy when he found out about that. I'm waiting for the day for when I'm proud of myself." I say and he looks very pensive. "My medical techniques weren't enough to save someone in the Forest of Death and that's been bothering me since then…if I'd gotten to him just a few moments sooner…"

"Don't be so hard on yourself. You say you've been teaching yourself and so I can imagine that there are things you are missing out on from not having a proper teacher. As far as saving that shinobi's life…had Sasuke done the same thing that you did, would you have been proud of him?" He asks and I feel my eyebrows furrow together.

"Yes…because nobody else moved to help them." I say, sounding a little dazed. "He was a shinobi from the village hidden in the grass. His name was Shu and he went into cardiac arrest as we arrived…there was nothing that I could do…"

"He may have lost his life, but his comrade will always remember the kunoichi who tried to help." He says and I feel the dubious look cross my face. "I could tell you some close call stories about my days as a genin, but I don't think Yoshino would care much for them. The important part is that I still remember the faces of everyone who has ever tried to make a difference."

"The important thing to remember is that you cannot possibly save everyone. What matters is that you do your best." Yoshino says, walking over and placing a hand on the back of my chair. "Dear, do you think Sachiko would be willing to give her some pointers?"

"I can ask." He says and I feel my eyes widen and I open my mouth to deny that sort of help. "Sachiko has met you twice, but she already talks about you like you're part of the family. I'm sure she wouldn't mind at all."

"Like I'm part of the family?" I ask with a chuckle. "That's an interesting idea, isn't it?" He chuckles.

"I am never going back to your sister's house again." Shikamaru says as he walks back into the dining room. He's very annoyed as he walks over to me. I regard him with a bored expression and he rolls his eyes before he lifts my chin very gently with a single finger before he begins applying the salve to the bruise on my neck. "All that training finally get to you?"

"Something like that." I say, smiling a little. I wince. "Careful, it's pretty tender." He nods and finishes up, using a lot lighter of a hand. "Thanks."

"Yeah." He says and then he goes off to wash his hands. I'm pleasantly surprised that the salve doesn't carry a strong smell. I tend to not like salves because of how easy it could be to overpower my sense of smell.

"He's such a mother hen sometimes." I say with a laugh. I'm only doing this now because I know he can hear me and I'm trying to razz him.

"I might not be a mother hen if you were a little less reckless. Don't think Izanagi hasn't told me horror stories from your team's missions. You guys are worse than Team Seven." He says, the vein in his forehead popping up.

"Back to normal." I say with a nod. "And we've never faced an S-ranked criminal…so I think they're still a little worse than us, probably. If that were to happen to anyone on my team, I'd do it alone and survive so that it would be more impressive."

"Don't be such a drag." He says dryly and I laugh. "See? I told you. She puts up a front of being all innocent and polite, but really she's evil."

"Maybe if you didn't get so bent out of shape, she'd enjoy it less." Yoshino says as she brings dishes to the table.

"Of course you're on her side." Shikamaru mutters and I snicker. My side is a good side to be on.

* * *

Ino and I stand across from each other and out of habit, I form the seal of confrontation. At the end of this, we are still comrades. She seems shocked, but she does the same. The official looks between the two of us.

"You know how this goes, anything goes. I will step in if it comes to deadly blows, but I trust you two can make the wise decision of not letting it get to that point." He says and we nod once. "Begin." Ino runs at me, probably expecting me to evade. That's what I would normally do. Get to the trees, distract, and then attack. Not this time. Her momentum doesn't allow her to pull back in time and so my blow lands right in her stomach. It is a very solid hit. She flies back, but rolls so that she is standing when she stops. We stare at each other for a moment, I keep my face neutral. I'm not angry with her.

"Do your best." She says finally and I smile softly before nodding. We're friends…this isn't anything personal.

"You too, don't hold back." I say and she nods. I run at her and we lock into a fierce exchange of blows. She catches my foot and swings me around, tossing me towards one of the trees. I twist in the air so that my feet land on it. It splinters as I focus the chakra into my feet and launch myself at her. She dodges the kick that ends up putting a decent dent in the ground. I don't want to use any of my jutsu on her, but I need time. I back flip away and land in a crouch, all the while making my hand seals. "Ninja art, smoke screen jutsu." I say calmly before I create the screen. I activate my Sharingan and I easily locate Ino. She's ready to take me on from any angle. This is to buy me time to plan. I won't attack until I have a plan. No….that's what she's expecting. I just have to go for it. Fight like Sasuke. I run at her and the smoke clears. I throw punches and kicks. I don't stop moving. She's starting to get mad.

"Ino! Keep your head!" Someone calls down from the stands. I can't tell who it is. The clarity returns to her eyes and her strikes are more measured. I keep track, searching for a pattern. To throw her off, I start imitating. Matching her every blow. Unnerve her. Once I deem her appropriately shaken I jump back and draw a kunai. We meet in the middle, blades clashing and it's a battle of strength and will now. She's pushing down, me up. This is cake, though. I sweep her feet, but she pulls me down with her. I roll away from her stab and throw my body into a somersault. She's on her feet as well. I run at her and land a really hard blow in her stomach. Blood doesn't come up when she coughs, so I'm really happy about that. I don't relent, but neither does she. I backflip away and my foot catches her in the chin. She stumbles backwards and I get behind her and knock her in the air. I jump up and my heel digs into her stomach. She slams onto the ground, her back arches up but I can tell that she isn't too injured. I definitely held back on that.

"I'll admit, Minako…I am really surprised." She says as she pulls herself into a crouch. She's not ready to stand yet. "I came into this fight with expectations and I'm really paying for it now. I'm not going to give up though."

"I wouldn't forgive you if you did." I say and we both give crazy smiles. I draw my tanto, attempting to look intimidating, but she's not thrown. She has a kunai in either hand. She throws them and I block before I run at her. She has two more, fending off my strikes with them. I take out a kunai in my other hand for an added edge, so to speak. She jabs and I bend backwards to avoid it. There's a dull ache in my neck from my run in with Gaara yesterday, but it's nothing I can't handle. I act like I'm going to spin around to put more force into my strike, but I throw an elbow instead. I catch her in the temple and she stumbles. She throws her kunai and I can't get my blades up in time to catch them both. The second one sticks into my forearm. It doesn't hurt really. She knocks my tanto away and she goes to punch me, but I grab both of her arms and head butt her. She stumbles back, but comes right back at me. I'll be the first to admit that it wasn't the best idea. I feel blood trickling down my own forehead. I catch a blow in the shoulder and on the backwards motion of that, I throw a kick and land it in her side. She stumbles sideways and I throw a right hook. She stumbles back a bit and then she crumples to the ground. She tries to pick herself back up.

"I….I concede." She says and I immediately feel a little emotional. Nothing too noticeable probably. I walk over to her and offer the seal of reconciliation. She makes it easily and I help her stand. She leans heavily on me. The proctor gives me my blade and we move off of the field. I help her over to the medical area before I go to the waiting area and sit down, head in my hands.

"You forgot about something." Shikamaru says as he walks over. I look up at him and he gestures with his eyes to my arm. The kunai is still sticking out of it.

"Oh." I say before I yank it out and heal the wound. I set it off to the side and return my head to my hands. I pointedly ignore the smug look from that bitch from the sand.

"That smoke screen was cool." He sits down beside me and I hum. "Is that new or have you been holding out on us?"

"Like I'd say." I say, offering just a little bit of sass. "I knew she'd never forgive me if I went easy on her."

"You still did." He says and I shake my head. "Come on, Minako. You could have destroyed her."

"You're a little confident in my abilities, Deer one." I say and he rolls his eyes. I hear an explosion and I run to watch Iza and Jun's match. "Oh my god…it's like the testosterone match that I stopped when our team first formed…but like amplified by six." Jun is beating the tar out of Iza. Iza knocks him back and as he stands up he spits out some blood. "And Sasuke still isn't here." I look around, worried. "What even is today?" Izanagi is preparing for a technique he's only used once. I inhale sharply. He sinks into the ground. Jun runs and hops into the tree, looking around as if he can see into the earth.

"What is going on…." Shikamaru is just as confused. "Is that…" I nod. "Hiding like a mole jutsu? Where the hell did he learn that?"

"I have no clue." I say and squeeze my hands into fists. Jun must see something because he jumps out of the tree. Iza pops up behind him striking him in the middle of the back. Jun falls forward. He rolls just in time to avoid Iza's kick. They're back up and locked in combat. I can see Jun starting to waver…this is Izanagi's fight. "Come on…" Iza lets out a mighty roar, finally socking Jun in the face. He flies across the field and lands on his back…he doesn't get up. Medics carry Jun off the field and Iza walks off in a dazed state. I immediately hug him.

"I can't believe I actually did it…" He says, amazement clear in his tone. "I actually beat Jun…He's gonna be pissed."

"He's gonna be proud of you. I sure as hell am." I say and he frowns at my forehead. "What? Oh yeah…" He licks his thumb and wipes away the trickle of dried blood. I make a face. I double take as I hear Kankuro, or puppet guy which I prefer, forfeit the match, immediately pushing Shino on to the next round. Now it's Shikamaru and Temari. I turn to my friend and smile, he knows exactly what I'm thinking. Kick her ass…get her back for Tenten. I move to the railing to watch the match, pointedly placing myself next to Kankuro. I plan to heckle…I wouldn't be me if I didn't. I just couldn't the last round because it was my boys. My knuckles turn white as she knocks him into the wall right off the bat. Kankuro lets out a short laugh. I feel my lip curl back, my eye's twitching. Get up, you lazy asshole…I won't forgive you if you don't try. I feel better once he actually starts trying…I recognize the thinking pose and I'm glad when he starts moving. I squint as the wind whips my hair around and I look up…so that's where his jacket went.

"There's no way he's gonna win." Kankuro says and I laugh. He looks where I'm looking. "Temari! Above you!" I try to keep my cool…it has to happen at the right time.

"Relax, Minako…we know what he's capable of and that's all that matters." Ino says as she comes and stands beside me. "That was a really great fight, by the way. I had no idea you could do that."

"You had me on the run at some points too." I say and we laugh together, but then my attention gets drawn back to the field. Shikamaru's shirt parachute has landed. What has that pineapple head planned? "I see now…"

"What are you seeing? Because I don't see it." Ino says and I chuckle. He's got this in the bag.

"They're both strategists…they're trying to outthink each other now." I say and she leans over the edge more, trying to get a better look at the playing field. "You know, his dad isn't the jonin commander for no good reason. And he's a carbon copy."

"You're right." She says, but my knuckles are still white. I see her start to make hand seals…what are you doing, Shikamaru? Then she stops.

"He's got her." I say confidently. "Come on you Pineapple head! Kick her ass now!" I yell and I hear his snicker. He explains the strategy…

"Okay that's it…I give up." He says calmly and I feel the murderous intent fill my body. My eye twitches. I don't hear his explanation, I just feel Ino restrain me and then Izanagi as well. I'm struggling against them. I'm gonna kill him. Then I realize that Sasuke has finally showed up. Relief replaces how much I want to kill Shikamaru, but that's short-lived. He's got to fight Gaara now.

"Minako…come with us." Shikamaru says as he walks up behind me. I shake my head. "Minako, look, don't be mad."

"It's not that." I say, not letting the fear fill my voice like it wants to. "I need to be here…for my brother. He needs to be able to see me. I can't leave him."

"I'm coming back for you." He says and I shrug, not looking away from my brother. He's completely focused. "Ino, come on."

"I don't know what's got him so freaked out…but stay with Shino, 'kay?" She asks me and I nod again. I move to stand with him and they go. The fight begins and Sasuke is much faster than he was the last time I saw him. How could that be in twenty-four hours? Temari and Kankuro are worried about something.

"A plan…" Shino says and I hum. "It seems as though we'll need to be more careful." I hum again and we lapse into silence. Sasuke runs up the wall and makes some hand seals….his hand begins to spark and I feel my eyebrows furrow together. He yells as he runs down the wall. He strikes Gaara's weird sand ball and actually breaks through it this time. Something is up though.

"Sasuke…get out of there." I say under my breath. He's not moving though…he's got a smug smirk on his face. Dread begins to run through my veins. "Sasuke…" His hand sparks again and he yells. "Get out of there!" I yell and he is jumping away from Gaara. Suddenly, I feel sleepy. Genjutsu. "Release." I say calmly. Shino appears a little surprised, but he follows suit. I unbutton my leg pouch…All hell breaks loose as soon as Temari and Kankuro take Gaara away. Sasuke follows. "Well, what are we standing around here for? Let's go get orders." I say, jumping down from the railing, I then run up the side. I see movement. "Sakura!" I exclaim and I throw kunai, killing the shinobi trying to kill her. They fall to the ground and I land on the railing to the stands, two more kunai in hand. I join the fray with the other leaf shinobi fighting. The enemy isn't really paying much attention to me, so it makes it easy for me to sneak up on them.

"Minako! Go with Sakura." Kakashi-sensei says, I duck the knife of an enemy before I throw my own. It sticks in his neck and he falls over the ledge. "You're going after Sasuke."

"Right!" I say and I leap across the seats and land in front of Shikamaru. He's just…laying there. I bring my foot back and kick him really hard in the butt.

"Hey! What's the bright idea!?" He exclaims, jumping up. I glare at him. I must look crazy…I know I've got blood on me.

"I've been up here fighting while you've been sitting on your ass! Up and moving!" I yell and it's like when I took control in my team. A guy is coming up behind me, I draw my tanto and catch him in the belly.

"This girl knows what she's doing. Come on, Kakashi, explain the mission." A dog says as he jumps up.

"Pakkun will track down Sasuke by scent. You will find him and stop him. As soon as you do, you will find a safe place to hide and await further orders. Got it? Minako, take the lead." Kakashi-sensei says and then Guy-sensei creates a hole in the back wall.

"Yes, Sensei." I say and I look to the three. "We'll talk weapons on the way. Come on." I say and I lead the way out of the hole. "Naruto, what all do you have?"

"Standard amount of shuriken and kunai. I had more, but I used them in my fight." He says and I nod once.

"Shikamaru." I say, keeping my voice calm. I would be lying if I said that I wasn't scared. I glance over my shoulder.

"A little more than the usual." He says and I nod again. I look to Sakura and she's counting.

"I didn't bring much." She says and I take a scroll out of my back pouch. I toss it to her and she catches it. "Thanks…do you think we'll be able to catch Sasuke?"

"We don't have a choice. My brother is a brash idiot." I say and Pakkun lands on top of my head. "Hopefully I can get him to listen to me. I hope it doesn't come to a fight because I definitely don't think that I can beat him anymore."

"Leave it to me, Minako…if it comes to that." Naruto says gravely and I glance over my shoulder. "I've got something up my sleeve!"

"I hope it doesn't come to that. I'm more worried about actually having to face Gaara. It's not in the plan, but I've got a real bad feeling." I say and then I sense people. "Great…more people invited themselves to our party."

"She's right…I smell nine of them." Pakkun says and then we start trying to throw them off of our tracks. When it doesn't work I sigh.

"Give me a second and I'll give Sasuke a reason to listen to you guys." I say as I take out my tanto. "Someone get ready to keep me from falling." I turn it on myself and Shikamaru's there faster than I've ever seen him move. "Stop it, I'm going to heal it right away. He'll feel this, you'll take my tanto and he'll turn back to avenge me. Simple as that. I'll stay behind and roast those guys."

"What significance does that tanto have?" Sakura asks and I smile sadly, looking at the blade.

"It's Itachi's. I never go anywhere without it." I say, tightening my hand around it. "Now let me do this. I think it's the only way we'll stop him."

"Fine, but you're not staying to take them on alone. The two of us will stay. Naruto and Sakura will follow Pakkun." Shikamaru says and the three of them look at the two of us. "Hurry up and do it." He lets go. I stab just to the side of anything important and drag it up.

"Son of a fucker." I say through my teeth as I fall to my knees. I pull the blade out and blood pours from the wound. I let it go for a moment before I heal the wound. I wipe it on the side of my skirt before I stick it back in the sheath and disconnect it from its place above my pouches. I give it to Sakura. "Tell him I love him."

"Right." She says with a nod. They go on and Shikamaru and I back track. He fashions a stick that looks like Pakkun's paw print and we lead them on a goose chase.

"I've got more chakra than you do, so we'll have to do this quick." I say and he looks at me. "We're not going to die here, okay? I'm not going to let that happen."

"Minako…I…" He starts but I shake my head and turn to the direction that they're going to be coming from. "If it goes south, get out of here."

"I'm in charge." I say firmly. "If it goes south, you get out of here and go get help." He makes an annoyed noise, but we don't have time to argue. They're already here. "Nobody invited you to this party, so go back home and we might let you live."

"A pip squeak like you?" The guy who is most likely the leader asks, actually laughing at me. "You're already bloodied up."

"Oh am I? I didn't notice." I say and then I smirk as Shikamaru catches all eight of them in his shadow. Wait a minute. "Shit." The wave kunai hit me before I can react and I fall. Shikamaru's in bad shape too. Why did I have to fail? Against the pain, I try to get up. I make the hand signs for the great fireball technique. If I can just get this…As I inhale someone lands behind us. Asuma-sensei throws the ninth guy and knocks a few down before he starts kicking ass. My vision starts getting blurry. I shake my head and start plucking the kunai out, healing as I go.

"There's no hurry." Shikamaru says and I shake my head. "Honestly, Minako, you may have more chakra than the average person, but you've been going all day."

"You don't understand, Shikamaru and I don't blame you for that." I say as I make myself stand up. "If I lose Sasuke and I could have stopped it, I won't be able to live with myself. You, on the other hand, owe us nothing. You've done your part."

"Hold it." Asuma-sensei says and I hate just how much regard I have for authority. "You sent Naruto and Sakura on ahead with Pakkun, right?" He asks and I nod. "They'll be fine. I need you to help Shikamaru get back to the village. I'll go on ahead."

"Is that an order?" I ask, closing my eyes. I didn't even need to ask. "Alright. I guess I have to trust you."

"Have a little more faith, kid. If it comes to it, find a safe place to conceal yourselves until you're strong enough to move on." He says and then he's gone. I sigh and help Shikamaru stand up.

"What were you going to say before?" I ask as we start walking through the forest. He's really hurting in the chakra department. "Before our friends showed up. You said, 'Minako…I', and then I told you to shut up without actually saying it."

"I said what I was going to say. Get the hell out of there if it went badly." He says and I shake my head.

"You're lying to me." I say and he sighs. "It's alright, I'll let it go for now. But just so you know, I'm assuming you were about to confess your undying love for me. There's still a chance that we could die, you know."

"I'm very aware of that. Especially since you're kind of stuck babysitting me." He says and I shake my head.

"Not babysitting, but we may need to take a break." I say, helping him sit down with his back to a tree. "I'm more tired than I thought I was." I reach into my pouch and take out a scroll with some of my ration bars in it. "Thank goodness for being over-prepared. I think these are the ones I was playing with foods that replenished chakra faster." I say as I unseal a couple. I give him one before I eat my own. "God I feel naked without my tanto."

"You'll be fine. Though it was kind of cool the way you landed in front of Sakura and just kind of slit that guy's stomach open." He says and I smirk.

"I know…I'm a bit of a badass." I shrug before I push my hair back. Then I sense someone. I pull Shikamaru into the nearest bush. It's not the largest of bushes, so I'm on top of him. I scan where we were a moment ago and I'm glad to see that we didn't leave a trace. A few sand shinobi pass over and I think small thoughts…I am as small and unnoticeable as a bug. There's nothing to see here…go on with your business. They don't stop. "You okay?" I whisper softly and he nods. We crawl out of the bush. "Sorry if that was weird."

"It was necessary." He says and I smile. "We're going to make it out of this…it's like you said. We've got a lot of stuff to do."

"Yeah…I just hope that I didn't stab myself for nothing. I hope that he stopped and turned around." I say and then we hear the terrifying roar of a demon. Holy shit, that's what Gaara was. Like Naruto, he plays host to a demon. That's why he's so crazy. I'm on my feet and hauling Shikamaru up with me. I try not to show my fear. It is easier for him to move now, I'm guessing the food helped with his chakra exhaustion, but he still can't stand entirely on his own.

"Man, this is such a drag." He says and I hum my agreement. I sense more shinobi coming our way, their chakra doesn't feel friendly. We hide, but this time I prepare to attack. There are only two of them and they don't feel too powerful. After they pass, I jump out and throw two kunai. They stick in the back of their necks, right on their mark and the two sound shinobi drop out of the air like flies. "There's a cave not so far from here, let's wait until I've got a little more strength." I close my eyes and nod before we move towards the cave. Once we're inside, I set him up against the wall and go about setting traps. I doubt anyone will…but I'd rather have defenses just in case. "Does it bother you?"

"Does what bother me?" I ask, going over and sitting down beside him. I hug my knees to my chest.

"I don't know…you just seem so casual about killing people." He says and I chuckle. I must sound like a freak.

"Shikamaru…you realize that's part of our job, right?" I ask and he gives me a look. "It doesn't bother me…killing the people who would otherwise kill me or my friends. If I've got a say in it, no one else I love is going to die for a very long time." I smile. "You guys haven't had to actually kill anyone yet, have you?" He shakes his head. "After the first one…after you come to terms with what you've done, it's not so hard. The first guy I killed…was in the same group as the man who nearly killed Izanagi." I take out a kunai and turn it over in my hands. "Like I said, if I can help it, no one is going to kill the people I love. You're going to live for me to annoy for at least another fifty years."

"That's a comforting thought." He says and he really doesn't seem to mind it. "I'm going to try and sleep a bit."

"Yes, good. That will help with your chakra situation." I say and he hums. My hand grips my kunai tightly as the ground shakes. Naruto must be fighting Gaara now. "Sleep, I'll take care of things." He hums…already more than halfway there. Pretty soon he's snoring softly. After about twenty minutes, I hear the sounds of someone approaching. I throw up a genjutsu to conceal us. If I can avoid combat, I'd really enjoy that. I slowly stand up, falling into a good position to spring forward and attack if necessary. Sand shinobi….several meters away. A good number of them. There's no way I could take out all of them alone. If they get any closer though, I may not have a choice. I'd feel better if I had my tanto. One of them has felt something off…no, please don't come this way.

"I'll be right back." He tells someone. "Go on ahead, I'll catch up. I'm just gonna check something out." They move on and he starts moving towards the cave. Once he's close enough he examines the entrance of the cave. He leaps, bursting through the genjutsu and avoiding both the upper and lower trip wire. I push off the ground, swiping up with my kunai but he deflects it. I'm pinned against the cave wall. I see stars as my head slams against it. "You really thought you'd have a chance?" I can't breathe. "This is going to be fun. Your friend must be dying or something. There's no way someone would leave someone like you to defend them." I try to call out, but he presses harder on my neck. What is it with these damn sand shinobi and choking people? He pulls me forward before he slams me against the wall again.

* * *

When I open my eyes, I feel weird as my body shifts. That's when I realize I'm on someone's back.

"Welcome back." A female voice says and I realize that it's Kurenai-sensei. We're closer to the village than before. I see Shikamaru keeping up with her at a steady rate. "No need to worry now, the attack is over." I open my mouth to say something and my voice squeaks. I sense someone coming up on us.

"Kurenai, what's going on?" Asuma-sensei asks, falling into the same pace as her. He's got Naruto on his back.

"We found a place to hide while I built up some more chakra and while I was asleep a sand shinobi saw through her defenses and attacked us." Shikamaru says and I hear the angry sound of my brother. I feel so much relief.

"I'm sick and tired of those damn sand shinobi thinking it's cool to choke people." I say, my voice a little rough. "First that Gaara fruit loop with that stupid sand. Then the stupid sadistic asshole. I'm over it. If you wanna kill someone and you want to go for the throat, slicing the jugular is a much more efficient way of doing it."

"That's my sister, critiquing the way that people want to try and kill her." Sasuke says and then he makes an angry noise. "We're having words later."

"You were right, Minako…about what we were talking about earlier." Shikamaru says all of a sudden and I regard him lazily. Then I realize that he killed the guy. He's literally got blood on his hands.

"I'm always right, you'll have to be more specific when we talk later." I say and Kurenai-sensei finds that funny. "Is everyone else alright?"

"We're all fine." Sakura says softly and I feel relieved. "Naruto's just chakra exhausted and Pakkun went and told Kakashi-sensei. That's why Kurenai-sensei showed up to get you guys."

"Bless that adorable little shit and his soft paws." I say and that makes everyone laugh. I sigh…I'm exhausted and disappointed in myself. I couldn't stop that sand shinobi.

"Stop. You did fine." Sasuke says and I shake my head, curse his ability to read my mind. "Do you want me to yell at you now or later?"

"I'll take a rain check. Give me a few years and maybe I'll be willing to listen." I say and then I feel dizzy. "I think it'll be about six billion years…that's how long I want to sleep." We arrive at the village. "I think I'll be fine enough to walk in, Kurenai-sensei."

"If you're sure." She says, stopping to let me down. We all take out our I.D cards and hand them to the shinobi who is checking them over.

"Do you need medical attention?" The guy physically making sure we're not imposters asks as he notices the dried blood on the back of my head.

"I should be fine. I don't think I'm concussed." I say and then I assess everything else. "Yeah, I'll be fine."

"Right, you all are cleared." He says and we make our way into the village. I get a cold chill as I see all of the destruction. I feel emotional. Sasuke puts his arm around my shoulders.

"Alright, all of you go home and rest up. Tomorrow you'll report to the Academy where you'll be assigned to a clean-up detail." Asuma-sensei explains and we nod our understanding. Sasuke slings me across his back before he leaps onto the nearest building and heads towards our apartment. It's still standing…which makes me feel a little better. He walks into the apartment and I hop off of his back.

"Heal that wound on the back of your head and go take a shower. We'll talk after that." He says and I nod, healing my head as I walk towards the bathroom. The shower is phenomenal. I wash the blood from my hair and my skin and I feel nearly human again. Once I step out, I wrap my hair in a towel before I wrap one around my middle and head for my room. I get dressed and sit down on my bed. I really don't feel like brushing my hair. Maybe if I rest my eyes for a moment…I'll be more inclined to…


	5. The Confrontation

**Welcome to chapter 5! I'm super excited at the feedback I've been getting! Just so you know, I don't plan on taking down what I have up as of right now. However, I am taking into consideration the pointers I've gotten. My writing has always been super dialogue driven and so I'm working on it! I hope that as the chapters go on I get better about it! I just wanted to take a chance to say thank you to everyone who has favorited, followed, and reviewed. Your support means everything to me! So here's chapter 5 now!**

I probably should have brought Shikamaru with me. If my gut is correct, it would have been very useful to be able to immobilize Itachi. I have carried this bad feeling with me since I woke up around four this morning…and now it has only gotten worse. I reach the river that runs through the hidden leaf and I see Kakashi, Asuma, and Kurenai-sensei. I also see two figures in black and red cloaks. One is unmistakably Itachi. He has Kakashi-sensei trapped in a genjutsu of some sort. I don't have time to go and get help. They'll kill them. I propel myself through the air and land in front of Kakashi-sensei. The genjutsu is immediately cut. Maybe he was afraid of catching me in it? Though I don't understand why.

"Minako!" Kurenai-sensei says, sounding extremely worried. "Let us handle this, you go and get help."

"I'm the only one here who can stand up against his Mangekyo Sharingan." I say in a strong, clear voice.

"Kurenai, you go. Asuma, stay and support her. Minako, you know what to do." Kakashi-sensei says and I make the seals before I release the thickest smokescreen I've ever created. I draw my tanto.

"So the Hokage made Kenta Miyamoto your sensei. A very good choice for you." Itachi says and I feel my lip draw back in an angry snarl. "However, Big Brother doesn't want to fight you. Run along."

"Too fucking bad." I say, changing up my stance. "If you wanted to avoid a fight with me, then you should have never come back. Hell, you probably should have just killed me that night." I tuck the tanto away before I draw my katana. I'll need the extra reach. "I may not make you pay for what you did, but if I can hold you off long enough for help to arrive…" He's ready to fight me now. I don't have time to think about how this has failed in the past. "Hidden leaf style. Dance of the crescent moon." I perform the technique flawlessly. For the first time. I don't have time to celebrate because as the attack lands, he bursts into several crows. I change directions as I sense his chakra behind me. He blocks my strike with his own katana.

"I was wondering if you would move on to use weapons like this. I'll admit I was fearful of the idea due to your small stature, but Kenta has taught you well." He says and I'm really pissed off by the way he's being so casual about this. "You expressed so much interest in my tanto. Well, I suppose it's yours now."

"To be honest I've grown bored with it." I say, keeping up with him rather well. "If you want something from one of the Uchiha archives, leave with me. Just get out of here, Itachi. There's no need for any of this."

"I am after the legacy of the Fourth Hokage." He says and I rack my brain, trying to figure out what he means.

"But his wife passed on before she was able to give birth. There is no legacy." I say and he gets a cruel smirk on his face.

"Do you honestly think Mother would have told you about him? Minako who is kind to everyone. You would have befriended the monster because no one else would." He says and then it clicks. Everyone always irrationally hated Naruto. "Your heart has always been too soft. Are you as much of a cry baby now as you were back then?"

"Well I was seven, so probably not." I say, spinning into my swing. I land a strike on his side. I hear the exhale, it sounds pained. "You know nothing about me now. I've killed men three times my size just to protect my comrades. And right now, I'd do anything to protect the person who has been such a positive influence on my brother's life. I'm your most dangerous opponent right now because I'm not willing to lose that. I never learned how to give up." I'm gaining footing in our fight, but I don't understand why. My skill is nowhere near where his was at my age and he's six years older than me. He's duping me out. I change directions just in time to avoid a shadow clone. I slash through it and it disappears in an explosion of crows. So some of the genjutsu is breaking through my careful wall. I splash up some water and flood chakra through my fingertips. Please work. The light it creates is dazzling. I use the Dance of the Crescent Moon technique again and all three attacks land. He looks surprised. It is a brief expression because he grabs the tanto from its place and runs me through with it before I can get away. I hear Guy-sensei then and I laugh a little. "I've done my part to help protect the village from you." I withdraw my blade from him and put it back in its place. "I'll let them handle my light work now." I turn and begin walking back towards the jonin. It's best to leave the tanto in because it's keeping most of my blood inside of me.

"Kisame, kill the rest. We'll take the girl and Hatake." Itachi says and I feel my eyes widen.

"Minako, get over here now." Kenta-sensei says. His tone doesn't hold any of the light friendliness that it normally does. I'll have to use a jutsu to get over there fast enough. I make the seal and use the body flicker technique. Kurenai-sensei catches me.

"Alright. Kenta and Kurenai, get those two to the hospital. Asuma, you'll stay and back me up until the Anbu Black Ops can arrive." Guy-sensei says and Kurenai-sensei lifts me into her arms, careful of the blade. We're moving across the village.

"Was I really helpful, Sensei? Did I do alright? Because I'll be okay with dying if I helped make a difference." I say, trying not to tense up.

"If that's the case, then for now just believe that you did horribly. I've got so much that I still need to teach you. So you're not allowed to die, okay?" Kenta-sensei says and I nod once. "That's an order, Minako. Do I make myself clear?"

"Yes Sensei!" I cry and I vaguely hear my name. We arrive at the hospital and I'm immediately taken back. The damage done to me isn't too extensive, they just heal the internal damage before they stitch up the external one. It wouldn't be great to just completely heal it because then my body would get out of the habit of healing on its own. I hope that Kakashi-sensei is alright. He didn't appear to have any external injuries…just exhaustion for the most part.

"I am incredibly angry with you." Kenta-sensei says as he steps into my room. "Incredibly angry….and also I am incredibly proud."

"I stood up to him." I say and the pride fills my chest. "I did my best and it paid off. I was able to hold him off until you were able to get there."

"I don't need to tell you how incredibly stupid it was to jump in there. I understand the power of your Sharingan was necessary to assist Sarutobi, but that situation was so far over your head I don't think that you could even see the surface." He says and I close my eyes.

"My goal was getting him out of here." I say and then I hear someone running down the hall. "How much would you like to bet that it's Sasuke?"

"You're more tired than I thought." He says and then the door slams open. It's Shikamaru. He's pissed.

"You should try to be less noisy. It is a hospital, you know." I say sounding rather cool if I do say so myself. I look to Sensei but he's already ducked out of the pre-teen angst. "How did you hear about it?"

"Asuma-sensei." He says and I feel the small smile form on my lips. "I am so incredibly angry that I can't even form coherent thoughts. You have successfully turned my brain into applesauce. I hope you're happy."

"You're being dramatic." I say and he falls into the chair next to my bed with an irritated sigh. I reach over and grab his hand. I make him point two fingers and then I hold it to the pulse point on my wrist. "Do you feel that? Blood pumping through my veins." I yank his arm and he falls forward, close enough to hear me breathing. "Beautiful breaths coming from my lungs? I'm strong enough to pull you out of your chair. I'm alive. I'll be okay. I'm a better person because of it. I'm sorry for upsetting you, Applesauce Brain, but I don't regret doing what I did." I hear more running then. This has got to be Sasuke. He's in the doorway now. I look to Shikamaru, pleading with my eyes for him not to go. He nods, but he stands up.

"So…I'm walking down the street…trying to find my sensei because he sent me off on some strange sort of wild goose chase…and I feel that pain in my stomach…you know the one. Like last month when you tried to make me think that you were dead so that I would stop chasing after Gaara. Yeah, I felt that and then I see Kenta and Kurenai flying through the village at breakneck speed. The guy I'm looking for with them, but unconscious and my sister….my dear, reckless sister crying." His voice holds the deadly calm that normally would have scared me.

"Listen…" I say and he mockingly puts his hand to his ear. I scowl at him. "You have no right to be this angry with me, Mr. I'm going to chase after a fucking jinchuriki. If you must know, I just fought Itachi!" I yell. His eyes go wide. "Yeah. He was trying to kill your sensei, so I stepped in and went a few rounds. I gave Kurenai-sensei just enough time to go and get Kenta and Guy-sensei. I was able to injure him, but in the process I was also injured. I'm healed up now and I am just waiting for this blood transfusion to be over."

"Are you crazy!?" He roars and Shikamaru is immediately at my side in a way that pretty much says 'back the fuck up'.

"Maybe!" I yell in return. "But I saved lives! So I'd do it again! I wish that I had been able to kill him! To release you from that ridiculous promise that you made!" I feel weak all of a sudden. "Please Sasuke…just…why don't you go and visit with Kakashi-sensei? Just…give me a minute." I'm trying really hard not to cry now. "Please? But don't go after him…I couldn't stand to lose you too."

"Alright." He says, his voice breaking a little bit. As soon as he steps out of the room the tears are pouring from my eyes. Shikamaru sits down on the edge of my bed and gently pulls me into his arms. I leave my arm that's hooked up to the IV still, but I wrap my other arm around him.

"Why did he have to come back?" My voice is small…I sound like a child again. I remember asking the Hokage why Itachi would do such a thing…I wasn't crying. I didn't have any tears left at that point. All I knew was that Sasuke and I were alone…orphans. We were at the mercy of Shikaku Nara until the Hokage could come up with something to do with us. It was six months before he decided to set us up in our apartment…a jonin kunoichi came to check on us every single day for about a year. I'm pretty sure that she was Anbu. After a year I felt confident enough that I could keep things together and so I asked the Hokage if it would be alright to stop her visits. I knew what Sasuke wanted out of life and so I had a duty to fulfill…to help him become stronger. "He said that he was after the legacy of the fourth Hokage…but didn't his wife die before she could give birth? That baby died the night of the attack of the Nine Tails. Unless…" The realization hits me out of nowhere. "Of course! It makes so much sense!"

"Minako, what are you talking about?" Shikamaru asks, looking down at me like I'm crazy.

"Shikamaru…the fourth Hokage's child didn't die…he became the person who holds the fox demon within him…" I say and then my eyes widen. "And he is Naruto…he's the Fourth's son…his legacy. Go find him. Now. We need to…" A man enters the room then. He's got long white hair in a jagged pony tail.

"I had to come and see the crazy genin who fought an S-rank criminal." He says and I raise an eyebrow. "My name is Jiraiya." A sanin. "And you're right, but don't go spreading that around. The kid doesn't know about it. I don't want you to worry about Itachi getting to him though, I'm not going to let that happen."

"I guess I have to trust you, since you're one of the Legendary Sanin and all." I say and he grins.

"No, you don't have to, but you do. I like your spunk, kid. Look me up in a few years." He says with a wink and I glower at him. Shikamaru must be giving him the same look. "I'm taking Naruto away for a little while, but he'll be back."

"To get him to move, all you have to do is dangle the promise of ramen." I say and he nods.

"Thanks for the intel." He says and I salute. "You know, in all my years I never met so many reckless genin."

"Sometimes recklessness saves lives." I say and he allows it. "It was nice meeting you Jiraiya of the Sanin."

"You too, Minako 'The Distraction' Uchiha." He says and then he disappears in a puff of smoke. Old people are weird. I look up at the bag hanging and groan.

"Why couldn't they just give me the pill that regenerates the blood faster? Is this my punishment?" I ask the sky.

"Probably to keep you from going back out there and doing something stupid." Shikamaru says and I sigh. "So…you just got a nickname." I tilt my head to the side. "Like Kakashi-sensei being the Copy-nin. You're Minako 'The Distraction' Uchiha. It makes sense with your most recent move set."

"Well, in that case…I suppose I'll embrace it." I say and he shakes his head. "There are worse things."

"Yeah, yeah. Just get some sleep. I don't need to tell you that your body heals better when it's not trying to do other stuff." He says and I smile. "I'll stay…"

"Thanks, but you don't have to stay the entire time. It'll just help until I'm asleep." I say as I relax back onto the pillows. "I'm exhausted…I used a lot of chakra to make a smokescreen to cover Asuma-sensei."

"Thanks….for you know…" He starts and I nod, smiling as I close my eyes. "You know that you must be good when even jonin are sure that they can depend on you." I shrug and I feel myself slipping into unconsciousness.

* * *

When I open my eyes, it's because I feel a different presence. One that I'm not used to. I don't feel the IV in my arm, so I jump up against the pain in my stomach. I have to defend myself.

"Minako Uchiha! Please relax, it is just me!" Rock Lee says from his wheelchair and I let out a breath. "I am sorry for startling you."

"It's alright." I say as I get back into bed. I am very sore. I grew very stiff in my sleep, which I'll pay for later. I don't think I tore any of my stitches, which is good. "What are you doing here?"

"I heard about what happened to you from Guy-sensei." He says and I nod. "And so I wanted to come and offer my congratulations for your youthfulness and strength."

"You're the only person who hasn't called me an idiot." I say with a small smile. "Thanks, Lee."

"Had I been in your situation I believe that I would have done the same thing." He says and my smile grows. "You must have been frightened. Please do not think that I am questioning your courage…"

"Courage isn't just a matter of not being frightened. It's being afraid and doing what you have to do anyway." I say, quoting something from my previous life that has stuck with me. I don't remember what it was from…but it is undoubtedly true. "If that's the case for certain, then I must be the most courageous person on this planet."

"So…when you stood up to Gaara to defend me, you were afraid?" He asks and I can't help but laugh.

"I was terrified, but I did what I had to do. We're comrades, Lee, and so no matter what I will do whatever it takes to make sure that we both have the best shot at survival. Even if that means I have to put my life on the line." I say and he looks at me in awe.

"It is my greatest honor to be your comrade, Minako Uchiha!" Lee exclaims, a fire burning in his eyes. "I will do whatever it takes to be able to continue as a shinobi!" There's a knock on the door then.

"There you are, Lee. I was wondering." Guy-sensei says as he steps inside. I look up at him.

"Guy-sensei, can you tell me what happened after I left?" I ask and he regards me with intelligent eyes. "Did Itachi get away?"

"Yes…he did. He wasn't in good shape though." He says and I nod. "While you were a little reckless, I think that it was very youthful of you to go in and give it one-hundred percent."

"Minako Uchiha will do anything to protect her comrades." Lee says and I smile. "She is the definition of youth!"

"Yes. I would expect nothing less from a student of Kenta Miyamoto." He says with confidence. "But Lee…wait for me in the hallway." He's serious now.

"Get well soon, Minako." Lee says before he wheels himself out into the hallway. I'm scared now.

"Your sensei asked me to relay some information to you." He says and I nod. "Naruto left the village earlier today and somehow, your brother discovered that Itachi was after him. So he went after them and Sasuke was caught in Itachi's Tsukuyomi."

"No, that's not…no." I say, shaking my head. "He said that he wouldn't go after him. He told me…"

"He did. He is here at the hospital, but he is in a coma. They aren't certain on whether or not he'll wake up. Do you know about the Tsukuyomi?"

"It is a genjutsu that can only be used by Sharingan users who have unlocked the Mangekyo Sharingan." My voice sounds dead to me. "Within this genjutsu, time means nothing. Kakashi-sensei was caught in it before I distracted Itachi. Itachi probably made him see the night that he slaughtered my clan. His mind knows that it can't deal with the amount of mental damage done from being forced to relive that incident."

"You are correct." He says and I close my eyes. "That doesn't mean that he will never wake up."

"But I will have my work cut out for me when he does wake up." I say and he nods once. "I swear, I have the most troublesome brothers in all of the Shinobi nations. One of them is an S-rank criminal asshole and the other is just an asshole. Good grief. Did they tell you if I was free to go or not?"

"You are." Shikaku says as he steps into the room. "However, due to Itachi's apparent interest in you and the actions of your brother, you are to be watched at all times. Instead of the Anbu taking care of it, I have offered to do it myself so that you can rest comfortably."

"One of these days, I'll be able to repay your kindness to me." I say with a sigh. How much of it is him and how much of it is Shikamaru's mother hen tendencies?

"I'll leave you to it then." Guy-sensei says and then he steps out of the room. Shikaku holds up a bag.

"Kenta had Shikamaru go and grab your mission pack. Said there'd be fresh clothes for you in it." He says and I nod. "Alright, get changed and we'll go back so that you can grab some more things."

"Okay." I say as I get up and take it from him. He steps into the hall and I close the door. I change into my clothes and my eyes scan the room. My weapons are all here. I attach my various pouches. Apparently they cleaned the blood from my tanto and my katana as well…how nice of them. I step out into the hallway and he leads the way out. I'm dwarfed next to him…then again, it's that way with most people. He essentially leads the way to my apartment and it's kind of weird for me that he knows where I live. I push my senses out as I reach the door to make sure that no one is inside. I pause briefly before I unlock the door and lead the way inside. Shikaku follows. He stands in the living room while I head to my room. I set my mission pack back in its place and grab my other backpack. I pick up one of the empty storage scrolls from my desk and go about packing some clothes. I know I'll be able to come back if I need to…so I don't grab too much. I toss a general toiletry scroll in…those are always handy to keep around. Some extra weaponry, just in case. I seal away my medical text books and pitch them in as well. After a moment of thought, I fold the blanket at the foot of my bed up and place it in my pack. It's the newest decoration in my meager room. This is a blanket that my mother had started knitting before she died…it wasn't finished and so I took it upon myself to finish it. That little fucker took forever…mostly because I was such a perfectionist. I didn't allow myself to touch the thing until I knew that I could do it almost as well as she had been doing. I step out of my room and see the dry erase board. Sasuke's careful handwriting.

 _Mina, I'm sorry. I couldn't let him get to Naruto. I love you._

I swallow around the lump in my throat before I go to his room. The blanket I made him is folded neatly and I smile before I fold it over my arm. I'll take it to him when I go to see him…since he'll probably be there for a while. It might make me feel better to see something more familiar. When I'm ready, I look up at Shikaku and smile a little. He nods and we head out. The silent communication is nice…I don't know if I can speak right now. We arrive at the Nara household and Shikaku leads the way inside now. Shikamaru stops as soon as he sees me. I have got to keep it together.

"Mom is making the bed up now." He says and I offer a small smile. I definitely do not trust myself. "How are you feeling?"

"Like a Minako Kebab." I say before I can stop myself and he rolls his eyes so hard I actually laugh. Leave it to me to make a joke out of something serious. "All jokes aside, I'm a little sore. I've definitely had worse though." That's a lie…I've never lost that much blood before. It seems to make him feel a little better though, so I don't mind the fib.

"I'll leave you kids to it." Shikaku says and then he goes down the hallway and into his home office. Despite my knowledge of the layout of his house, Shikamaru leads the way to the guest room.

"I expect you to get a lot of rest." Yoshino says as she comes upon us. "We'll change your dressing before dinner and see how you're feeling then, alright?"

"Okay…but really I'm fine." I say and she offers me a long look. "Not leaping across rooftops fine, but definitely sitting up at a table fine." I expand upon my previous statement and she seems to approve of that one more.

"Alright. Don't hesitate to ask if you need anything." She says and then she goes on her way. Shikamaru leads the rest of the way to the guest room and I sigh as I set my backpack down on the bed.

"What's that?" He asks, nodding to the blanket still folded across my arm. I smile and run a hand over it.

"It's dumb. Just a blanket that I made for Sasuke. I figured I'd take it to the hospital whenever I go to see him. Obviously it's more for my sake…something familiar." I say and he nods.

"I didn't know that you could knit. That's cool." He says and I nod, still looking at the blanket. It's really simple…a darker blue, a sky blue, and a white yarn. It's not very good by any means, but he uses it every night that he's home. "If I'd known that he was going to…"

"Shikamaru, stop." I look at him finally. "I appreciate the sentiment, but I can't afford to dwell on the what-ifs. Sasuke is alive…injured, but alive. That is the important part. So really, I am okay."

"Okay, but if you need me to go with you when you go to see him…" He starts and I smile.

"You've gotta stop that. People are really going to think you're in love with me." I say and he gives me a look. "Come on. Sass is my only defense."

"That's a load of crap and you know it." He says and I laugh a little. "Though I'm certain you could survive on that alone."

"It's how one puts Sasuke back into his place when he's an especially big asshole." I say and he shakes his head. "You give me that look, but it's a full time job trying to keep him from being a total prick. People don't appreciate my work."

"I'm sure Kakashi-sensei appreciates it enough." He says and I offer a fair enough look. "Do you need anything?"

"I'm alright. I'll probably do some reading if I can't get a nap in." I say and he nods. "And if I need someone to talk to, I promise you'll be the first to know. Okay?"

"Alright." He says and then he gives me my favorite smile. It's not snide or lazy…it's really only half of a smile, but it's happy.

* * *

"Come on. I need to train. Just throw them at me." I say and Junichi gives me a dubious look. "It's been a week. They healed any injuries I had. Right now they're keeping me on medical leave as a precautionary measure because Itachi had interest in taking me with him." I'm fibbing a little. I'm still nursing the stab wound, but it is healing at an advanced rate due to a Nara clan salve that Yoshino's been putting on it whenever she changes the dressing.

"And if a shuriken gets past your obviously flawless defense, what happens then? You get injured and I'm a jerk." He says and I give him a look. "You're not even technically supposed to be here. Sensei will be so mad if he sees you."

"Sensei will be at that café for another ten minutes." I say and he regards me dubiously. "Oh fine. If you need me, I'll be trying to get Yoshino to let me help out." I walk away. I notice the stares from the shinobi. I'm the crazy genin who went up against an S-rank criminal and that criminal was my brother. I'm the genin who did that and survived…regardless of whether or not I walked away with a near-fatal injury. I make it back to the Nara compound and find myself in the garden behind Shikamaru's house. I've spent a lot of my time here since I stopped hurting. It's nice because it isn't overly extravagant…there are some flowers but it's main focus is on relaxation. No loud colors to distract the mind…just the gentle green that is so comforting to most Leaf shinobi. If no one will train with me…I suppose I can practice my form with my katana. That isn't too physically demanding. I pull my hair into a bun on my head before I begin my set. First I do it with nothing. Get a feel for the moves. Get comfortable enough with them so that my body moves like fluid, the blade becoming an extension of my own arm. I do the set, which takes about five minutes, three times.

"May I give you a compliment?" A man asks as he approaches me. He's familiar in the way that all Nara men are familiar, but I can't quiet place him… "I'm Shikaku's brother, Toshio."

"Minako Uchiha, it's a pleasure to meet you." I say, bowing respectfully. "And it's not my place to tell someone who is older than me not to say something…so go ahead."

"Uchiha. That's it…you remind me of your mother." He says and I'm surprised. "I hope it wasn't rude of me to say…"

"No…I think that's one of the greatest compliments someone has ever given me. Thank you so much." I say, smiling brightly. "She didn't tend to flaunt her skill too much in front of my brothers and I…but she was really something else."

"Indeed she was. It was very nice meeting you Minako, I'll let you get back to your training." He says and I bow respectfully again before he walks away. The mention of my mother has brought back the dream that I had…it feels like it's been years when it's really only been a few months. I work through my set again, this time holding my katana while it's still sheathed. The last thing I need is another accident.

"Mind if I join you? I could use some brushing up." Shikaku says, startling me. He has a katana in hand. "And it is far more interesting to spar when learning these sets."

"Oh…sure." I say, not really knowing what to think. "Please don't go easy on me…I'm getting ridiculously bored with this medical leave. And we both know that it's not really about being on medical leave."

"I'll fight at your level." He says and I smile my thanks. "Whenever you're ready." I draw the katana and fall into my stance. A modified Uchiha style that I came up with. "I'd recommend bringing your feet in just a bit, you'll have a more firm stance that way."

"Thanks." I say and then I strike. He blocks with expert speed and pushes my blade away. I concentrate fully on what I'm doing. I carry out my movements and adapt to the changes in the situation due to the skill level of my opponent. He said he'd fight on my level…I'm calling bull shit right now. Not that I'd actually do that. I appreciate the fact that he isn't taking it easy on me.

"It might help if you didn't try to stay quiet…breathe. It may help with the fluidity of your movements." He says easily blocking my strike. "I'd say stop being fancy, but I can see that you're doing that to put more force behind your blows. A good strategy, but you can probably do better." He's training me. I don't know why I was too stupid to realize it before. His expression is relaxed…how a father's face is relaxed when teaching his child. Why is he being so kind to me? He knocks my katana from my hands and I trip, falling forward. I land with my hands on the ground, elbows bent ready to push myself back up so that I can defend myself, but he isn't going to attack. Instead, he sits down on the ground by me. I'm panting. I'm not used to this much physical conditioning because a lot of my most recent training has been mental. "What went wrong?"

"My stance was too wide. My grip was also too loose." I say as I sit up. I sit cross-legged on the ground, observing my hands. "I think I was also a little off balance…I'm still not totally used to the length of the katana."

"Alright…and what did you do right?" He asks and I look up at him. "I'm not going to tell you."

"My blocks are pretty good. Like you said, doing what I can to put more force behind my hits is pretty good. I don't know…I don't really see what I did right. I mean obviously there's something because you didn't cut my arm off…" I say and he chuckles.

"You're a lot more skilled than you believe you are. I think that if you allow yourself to become more comfortable with the blade, then you'll perfect it. I detect a lot of doubt. I'm assuming it's due to your encounter with Itachi." He says and I look away. "Not many genin know Dance of the Crescent Moon." And by 'not many' I assume that he means that no genin know it.

"Kenta-sensei taught me…well sort of. It's the second move I've learned by means of Sharingan. It's by no means perfect because my skill level with the katana leaves much to be desired, but I'm getting better." I say and then I hug my knees to my chest. "Why are you training me?"

"Because I'm one of the only ones who understands that it's how you deal with things in a healthy way." He says, looking up at the sky. "And besides, a man deserves to take a break from his paper work every now and again." I forgot that he was working from his home office. Part of the initiative to keep an eye on me. "It's a nice day."

"It makes me wonder if Shikamaru is actually training or if he's just watching the clouds while Choji and Ino do all the work." I say and he chuckles. "I know I don't need to tell you this, but you're right. I'm not one to wallow."

"Would you like to try again?" He asks and I nod. We get to our feet and I pick up my katana. "Maybe try using your Sharingan?"

"In training it feels like cheating." I say sheepishly. "If I learn a move I want it to be because I worked hard for it."

"Okay." He says, nodding his understanding. "Let's get to work." He's attacking me this time. I stumble back after blocking a strike and fall. I roll to the side and jump up, blocking his next strike. "Very good. I was worried that Kenta was too worried about your upper body strength that you didn't focus on lower body strength."

"Asuma-sensei said that I actually knocked Kenta-sensei down once. I kicked him in the chest…with both feet, but I still like to think it was a good accomplishment." I say and he chuckles. He swings his blade and I bend backwards to avoid it. Big mistake. I feel the tear. "That was a dumb idea." I lift my tee shirt just enough to see the red blossom on the clean white bandage. I put my katana away and focus my chakra towards my fingertips. "I'm only helping it to clot. I'll go and redress it now."

"Alright and you should probably take it easy for the rest of the day." He says and I smile before I turn to head towards the door. I don't want to get blood on my shirt, so I'm holding it up. As I reach the front of the house, Shikamaru stops dead when he sees me. "Come on Son, don't be such a drag." I look over my shoulder at the man and smile.

"It's fine." I say, stepping around Shikamaru and heading inside. He follows me…all the way to the guest bedroom. "Go away, I can do it myself."

"Let me help you for once in your life." He says with an irritated sigh. He looks really worried though.

"You do help me a lot…but if you want to…I guess I shouldn't be against someone practicing their first aid skills." I say and he rolls his eyes. I detach my weapons and lay them on the bed before I follow him to the bathroom. He immediately cuts away the old bandage and cleans the wound with an antiseptic.

"How long did you go after it started bleeding again?" He asks, his eyes moving to mine briefly.

"I felt it tear and stopped. I used some medical ninjutsu to speed up clotting." I say and he nods. He applies the salve very gently before he lays a clean gauze pad down. "I'm not an idiot, you know." I hold the end and he wraps the bandage around my middle before cutting it and securing the end. "Very good, though I'd try to improve my bedside manner if I were you."

"Sorry. Training was tough today. Apparently it was for you too." He says and I smile, shaking my head.

"No. Your dad really helped improve my form. If my body weren't lame right now, he could have helped improve my defense so much." I say brightly.

"So you were working with the katana?" He asks and I hum. He looks at me for a moment before he hugs me. My cheeks warm up…what is this? "Looked like you needed one."

"Thanks." I say with a smile before I turn and head back towards my room. But I should go and see Sasuke. I check over my leg pouch. I've got a decent amount of kunai and shuriken. I don't anticipate a fight, so this should be fine to go out with. I head towards Shikaku's office and knock. Yoshino opens the door. "Oh, I'm sorry…I was just going to let you know that I was heading over to the hospital to see Sasuke."

"I'm heading in that direction to stop by the Hokage's tower." The man says as he stands up from his desk. He gathers some papers into a folder. "We'll be back for dinner, Dear."

"Alright. Try not to beat my husband up too terribly, Minako." Yoshino says and I laugh. As if I could do that. The three of us make our way to the front door and Shikaku kisses Yoshino's forehead before we head out into the street.

"Your son is becoming too much of a mother hen." I say and Shikaku chuckles. A warm, deep noise that comes from deep within his chest.

"Only when it comes to you. I tease him mercilessly about it all the time." He says and I laugh. "He tells me it's because you tend to put Sasuke before you put yourself."

"I do alright for myself. Sasuke would work himself to death if I didn't make sure he rested from time to time." I say, looking straight ahead. "It's weird when I stay at your house because Yoshino doesn't let me help."

"That's just how she tries to help you…forceful relaxation." He says and I chuckle. "She's always been fond of you."

"Shikamaru says I make it easy for people to care about me. I don't see how. To me, I feel like I'm almost more trouble than it's worth." I say and it's his turn to chuckle. "Sometimes I feel like it would make me less anxious if people didn't care so much. But then I think about how many times that anxiety has carried me home."

"Can I ask you a question?" He asks and I look up at him. "You're older and obviously more wise now, so I can trust you'll answer honestly." I nod. "When I offered to take in both you and your brother with a sense of permanence, why did you decline?"

"I didn't want charity. I know that you didn't mean it that way. You're way too good of a person to take someone in just because they're sad. I didn't want Sasuke to lose his identity…and he would have stayed quiet had we stayed with you any longer. He was becoming entirely too reliant on me making decisions for us and so I thought that if we lived on our own it would force him to come back out of his shell and ultimately allow for him to be independent of me." I say and then I laugh. "That's a lot of thought for a seven year old, isn't it?"

"You were hardly a normal seven year old." He says fondly and I smile. "Weren't you afraid of Itachi coming back?"

"Shikaku, I've been afraid of that for five years." I say honestly. "I knew that we were well looked after. Shizuka checked on us every day…helped me with my cooking. I already knew how to take care of a house because I always helped Mother. Most of it was getting used to the fact that it was just Sasuke and I. After a while it became kind of nice…Shikamaru always made sure that I was taking care of myself as well. I knew that I could talk to him if I needed to, but most of the time it ended up being a quiet sort of support. He got pretty good at reading me."

"Not an easy feat. You're a complicated young lady." He says and I laugh. Me? Complicated? Well maybe.

"I always do the opposite of what's expected of me. A habit I developed because of my father. He expected me to be weak, so I became strong." I say and he nods. "Thank you, by the way…for turning him down."

"Arranged marriages are such a drag." He says and I nod. "And it would have been a shame to seal the fate of such a promising kunoichi."

"I'm confident that I would've found a way around it. I probably would've gotten the snot smacked out of me a lot more often, but I would've demanded the same amount of training as my brother." I say and he hums. "So you knew…that one day when Shikamaru gave me that salve?"

"I had my doubts on the validity of your answer. It was mostly in Itachi's reaction. It was concerning." He says and I smile.

"Back then I asked Itachi that if he ran away…for him to take me with him. So that he could teach me what I needed to know and to show me the world." I shake my head. "I worshipped the ground he walked on. That made the betrayal that much worse."

"I can imagine." He says and then we're at the hospital. "Visiting hours are over in an hour, I'll be back then."

"Thanks for walking me." I say with a smile and then I head inside. I make my way to Sasuke's room and sigh as I see him…no change. My blanket is draped over the hospital's blanket. I decided to leave mine here with him instead of his own because I wanted his. Mine is also more colorful…which is a nice change to the bland hospital room. I slide into bed next to him, carefully sliding my arm around his shoulders so that I can hold him comfortably. "You're in so much trouble when you wake up, you don't even know." I say softly, smoothing his hair back with one hand. I sing softly, then…a song that our mother used to sing to us whenever we'd be upset over something.

"Sasuke!?" I bolt upright after hearing my name. He's not awake though…he's still sleeping. I look around and see that it is Tenten and Rock Lee. "Oh hey, sorry about that." I say as I slide out of the bed. I check my shirt to make sure I didn't bleed through my bandage. "What are you guys doing here?"

"I was taking Lee for a…walk and sensed your chakra, so I thought I'd invite you to come along if you wanted." She says with a smile. "I understand if you want to stay with your brother, though."

"It's okay, he won't miss me." I say, adjusting the blanket. I push his hair back off of his forehead and kiss it. "At least he'd better not. I'd be so mad at him if he woke up when I wasn't here to yell at him for being such an idiot. You hear that, Sasuke? That's a promise, not a threat. I keep my promises." I smooth the blanket one more time. "Okay, I'm done being weird. Let's go." I follow them out into the hall. Since Lee is in a wheel chair, we take the elevator down before we head outside. The hospital has a nice garden out back for the patients to enjoy when they're well enough to go outside.

"How is your injury?" Tenten asks and my hand subconsciously goes to the spot. I'm not in an extraordinary amount of pain.

"It's okay. I was training with Shikaku today and accidentally made it start bleeding again, but I'm not hurting so bad anymore. Shikamaru was a big baby about it. A little blood and he's clucking like a chicken." I shake my head, but there's a small smile on my face. "So I let him redress it and that seemed to make him feel better, so everything is fine."

"Clucking like a chicken?" She asks and Lee laughs just a little bit. Oh yeah, Shikamaru's my fake boyfriend. "He must really care about you."

"We have an interesting relationship, that's for sure. He's been my best friend for years." I say, still not lying to them. "I'm so much of an asshole, I don't know how he puts up with me."

"You don't seem that way." She says and I laugh, whole-heartedly. If only she knew how bad it could get.

"Get to know me a little better. I'd never try to make you uncomfortable, but Ino and Sakura…it's so funny. Ino's used to it by now because I flirt with her all the time." I say, putting air quotes around 'flirt'. "They're who I hung out with mostly in kunoichi classes. The other girls pissed me off because they were assholes to Sakura and Hinata."

"I used to see that on the playground at the Academy when we were younger. I never said anything because, well, I didn't know any of you then." She says and I smile, nodding my understanding. "You've got a familiar face though. When I first saw you in the Forest of Death, I knew that I'd seen you somewhere."

"Sorry that our first encounter with each other was when I was being lame." I say and Lee's hands ball into fists. Did he hear about what happened? "So do you guys know what happened there?"

"Neji saw it." Lee says and I look away. "I do not understand how Sasuke could have done something like that to you."

"He's sick…" I say quietly. "Well…it's more of a curse really. I'm still trying to figure out how to break it."

"You work really hard, don't you?" Tenten asks and I laugh a little bit. "I heard that you were really mad at that Temari girl for the preliminary fights…"

"Oh yeah, I wanted to yank her by her weird hair and throw her around a little bit." I say and she laughs. "That was so disrespectful. You're a fantastic kunoichi. I wish I were as good at seals as you are."

"Thanks." She says, blushing a little bit. "But you have a lot of strengths as well. Both your ninjutsu and your genjutsu…"

"The Sharingan helps a lot. It allows for me to track movement easier than I normally would…I try not to rely on it too much because it feels like cheating. The only thing I don't feel bad about using it with is learning medical techniques." I explain and she nods.

"I've always wanted to learn medical ninjutsu, but anytime I've looked into it…it looks so difficult." She says and then she gets an idea. "You can totally say no if you don't want to…but what if I helped you with your seals and you taught me basic medical ninjutsu?"

"I could get behind that." I say with a nod. "I'd recommend beefing up your chakra control. In the field you can't afford any chakra waste. I'm at about ninety-six percent efficiency now."

"Ninety-six percent!?" She exclaims. Lee also looks really impressed. "Why did you sound so disappointed by that!?"

"Because I'm working on a seal that will go a lost faster if I'm at one hundred percent efficiency?" I ask, backing off a little bit. "I want to be a great kunoichi like Tsunade, and she has a reserve seal…she stores chakra behind that point and she can release it to amplify her jutsu a hundred fold…So I'm working on doing that."

"No way! That's totally cool!" Tenten exclaims, her eyes bright. "If there's anything I can better explain to you about seals, don't hesitate to ask!"

"Thanks." I say with a bright smile. "I've been thinking a lot about your condition, Lee…and I'm thinking about going to the council and asking them to search for Lady Tsunade. She's the most talented medical shinobi in all of the elemental nations and so if anyone can help you get back up on your feet, it would be her."

"You would…you would do that for me?" He asks, tears filling his eyes. "It is my greatest honor to be your comrade!"

"Of course I would. I need someone to help me beat up my brother when he's being an asshole. Which is a lot of the time, mind you." I say and Tenten laughs. "I do my best but my brothers…" I sigh. "They really need to learn how to socialize in a healthy, productive way. You don't greet your sister you haven't seen in five years by stabbing her."

"I would have to agree with you." Lee says, back to normal. His spirits definitely seem to be lifted, which makes me feel good. It really is flattering that he admires me…but I'm just not interested in the idea of actually dating someone. I'd much rather have friends. Maybe I can think of a way to put that. I hate that I panicked and essentially lied. I see a familiar face, then.

"Yoshida?" I ask, tilting my head to the side. Why is he approaching me? He looks…like he has something important to say. "Is everything alright?"

"I should be asking you that." He says with a light laugh. "I just got back and heard about Itachi coming to the village. I thought I'd check on you."

"You didn't have to do that." I say with a small smile. "I'm alright…a little injured. Sasuke got the worst of it."

"I'm sorry to hear that…if there's anything I can do, just look me up. Alright?" He asks and I smile, nodding. "Great. I'll see you around." And then he's gone.

"Oh my goodness, who was that?" Tenten asks, her cheeks tinged pink. Oh yeah, I guess he is pretty attractive. And older.

"He used to go on missions with Itachi a lot. I bumped into him back before the final rounds and I guess he felt the need to check up on me? I don't know." I shrug. "His name is Toshio Yoshida."

"He was super cute." She says and I laugh. "Oh yeah, I forgot. He's probably not your type."

"I don't really have a type. Really I just kind of exist. I live off of coffee and high energy foods and I train. That's about it." I say and she shakes her head. "Ino says that if I weren't so weird, I'd be super boring to be around. That's about the point when I start making comments about her butt or something and it usually stops then." I laugh. "How do people stand me?"

"Because you make them laugh." Lee says and that kind of shocks me. I thought that he was interested in me because of my skill. That's what he based his proclamation on. "And you are very caring. You make them feel like they are all precious to you."

"I've got a lot of love in my heart and not too many places to put it…so when I deem someone worth it, I give it my all." I say softly. I have a very special place in my heart for the rookies who joined in on the chunin exams…as well as most of Team Guy because they work so hard…and Lee came to Sakura's aid even though he didn't have to. "I fear that one day that may come back to bite me like it did with my brother, but I'm not one to back away from a challenge."

"What I knew about you, you seemed really nice…but you're a really great person, Minako." Tenten says and that brings the blush to my cheeks. Lee blushes then as well. "Oh you're super cute too!" I hide my face with my hands, laughing a little.

"Sasuke says that it's part of my demonic scheme to lure people into a false sense of security for me to then put all of the hot sauce in their meal." I say, still not looking at them. "You see, I do all of the cooking and I can be a vengeful little thing." She laughs.

"The spicier the better is what I say!" Lee exclaims and I laugh, shaking my head. I let my hands fall to my sides. "Do you enjoy spicy food?"

"A moderate amount of spice is alright. I'm generally not too picky. I just have to remind my brother of his place from time to time. He has a skewed view of me because of how swift retribution usually is. One time I dyed all of his underwear pink." I say and that has them busting out laughing. "You guys wouldn't believe how ridiculous he is. We have full blown debates on shuriken throwing on the moon. It got so heated one time I almost gave him a swirly. It would've happened too if he weren't bigger than me." All of a sudden I hear a crow caw. I freeze. Tenten looks worried. I'm throwing the kunai before I register the action. It hits and the crow disappears in a puff of smoke.

"What was that?" Tenten asks and I open and close my mouth a couple of times. "Minako?" Her hands are on my shoulders.

"S-Sasuke. I need to check on Sasuke!" I take off running, ignoring their cries. I leap through the open window of his room and let out a huge sigh of relief. He's okay… I check over him with my medical ninjutsu. I'd better go back and talk to Tenten and Lee…they're probably worried. I go back out through the window and jog back to where we'd been walking. "Sorry…that was…one of Itachi's crows. I had to make sure…"

"It's okay." Tenten says, visibly relaxing. "I just didn't know what to do. Should we go and find someone?"

"I should probably go to Shikaku now. He's sort of in charge of looking after me right now." I say and Lee reaches out and takes my hand. I look at him in question.

"It will be alright." He says very seriously. "If Guy-sensei has taken an interest, I am very confident that all will be just fine." He gives me a thumbs up with his other hand and a wink. "I promise you!"

"Thanks." I say with a smile. "I'll probably be back here tomorrow at some point. I'll stop by and see how you're doing."

"I would like that a lot!" He exclaims and I smile, offering a wave before I jog off. I make it to the Hokage tower and run up the stairs two at a time. I'm a little winded when I reach the top. I collect myself before I head inside. I make my way to Shikaku's office and I am so glad that he is there.

"Shikaku." I say and he looks up. "One of Itachi's crows was at the hospital. Nothing happened…Sasuke is okay. I'm fine…I just…" I'm scared. I'm terrified right now and I need to know that you're going to make it okay.

"What was it doing?" He asks, standing up and collecting the papers he was working on. "Are you sure you're okay?"

"It called out to me…I threw a kunai and it disappeared." I explain, leaning on the door frame. I feel a little weak now. "I thought that maybe…" I can't stop the tears from filling my eyes. Stop crying. My legs are like jelly.

"We'll go back home and you can rest." He says evenly. "Momoko, can you please bring a glass of water?" A woman who is probably ten years older than me brings a glass of water in. "Thank you."

"No problem." She says, handing it to me. Is it that obvious that I'm that shaken up? "Should I call for a medic?"

"I'm okay." I insist and then I take a drink of water. Shikaku nods and Momoko leaves. "I just need a minute."

"I'm not overly fond of how pale you are." He says and if he is questioning my reassurances, then I know it's pretty serious. "Hold out your hand in front of you." Oh no. I do as I'm told. It's shaking like a leaf. He puts the folder into a basket before he takes the glass of water from me. "I'm leaving for the day, Momoko. Send over those documents that I requested first thing in the morning."

"Yes, sir." She says and then she offers me a kind smile. No, don't pity me. I don't want pity. Shikaku and I head outside.

"We need to get home quickly, so I'm going to carry you." He informs me, stooping a bit so that I can climb onto his back. This is the easiest way to travel the way we do. It leaves the hands free. I need to get a handle on my fear. I'm never going to hear the end of it from Shikamaru. We land in the street in front of his house and he situates me so that he's carrying me in his arms now. I'm shaking. Yoshino opens the door and her eyes are calculating. She follows him back to the guest bedroom. He lays me on the bed. "I'm going to check on a few things. You ARE safe here." He looks to Yoshino and she nods, following him out. They left the door open. I curl up on my side and hug Sasuke's blanket to my chest. He's okay. I'm okay. Itachi wasn't here.

"Mina?" Shikamaru asks, he's standing in the doorway. He doesn't have a shirt on? He rushes to my side and makes me sit up. "Mina, breathe." I release the breath that I'd apparently been holding and it comes out as a choked sob. "No, like me. In…" He takes a deep breath in and I try to do the same, but my breaths are shallow. "In." His voice is more gentle than I'm used to. "Out." I've never cried like this in front of someone…not even Sasuke. Not even when I thought Sasuke was dead. That was different…that was angry. This is fear. He holds me while I cry, leading me in deep breathing. My arms are firmly wrapped around him as well. I need to distract myself so I'll stop crying. I look around the room as best as I can from where I'm sitting. It's simple…obviously a guest room. The walls are an off-white color that looks really pretty in the morning when the sun hits it. The blanket on the full-sized bed is a pleasant yellow color. The color is brightened by the dark wood of the floor. I'm breathing deeply now, matching my breaths to his. The warmth his body is emitting is helping to bring me back. He pushes the strands that have fallen from my bun back. I look at him finally. He's watching me very carefully…assessing what I need right now.

"Sorry." I say softly and he gives me a look that is considerably less harsh than what he would give me in another situation. "One of Itachi's crows was at the hospital…I thought that…"

"He came back to finish." He finishes and I close my eyes. "We are not going to let him hurt you. But I need you to start depending on us more, okay? You can't possibly do it all by yourself. Promise me?"

"Okay." I say, my tone is still really soft. "Can I ask a question?" He nods. "Why aren't you wearing a shirt?"

"Fell asleep before I got totally dressed after my shower." He explains and I shake my head. "It's not like you've never seen me without a shirt before."

"I've never seen muscular Shikamaru without a shirt." I say and he rolls his eyes. "They're going to get stuck that way."

"Good thing my best friend's a medical shinobi." He says and I laugh a little. "I'm gonna go get a shirt. We can talk." I nod and untangle my arms from around him. He stands up and leaves my room for a moment. When he comes back he's got tea. "How's your stomach?" I lift my shirt to examine the bandage. It's not bled through.

"It's good. I'm a little achy, but nothing that I can't handle." I say and he hums, setting the tray down on the nightstand. "I'll probably redress it before dinner."

"Just let me know if you need help." He says and I smile. He pours the tea and hands me a cup. My hands are still a little shaky, but I manage well enough. "Were there any changes?"

"No…he's the same. Just sleeping." I say, looking into my tea cup. "I laid with him for a little while. I took about a fifteen minute nap before Tenten and Lee invited me to go for a walk with them." I take a sip of tea before I set the cup back on the nightstand. I unbuckle the holster from my leg and unwrap the bandage.

"Girls are weird. That would drive me crazy." He says and I raise an eyebrow in question. "The bandage on your leg."

"Eh, it's not bad. Normally the bandage is over my shorts anyway. I tried to trick your mom into thinking that I didn't want to train today because the reprimanding looks that I get, but I should know better than to try and pull one over on Yoshino Nara." I add the last bit because she's listening. I hear her laugh and I smile. "I have devised a plan to get you off the hook with Lee."

"What's that?" He asks after taking a sip of his own tea. He didn't expect me to actually talk about my fears. He knows me better than that.

"Honesty. I panicked because no one had ever professed feelings for me before. Then I will explain that I'm not interested in romantic relationships. I have too much to do to be worried about liking someone." I say and he chuckles.

"That'll make him love you even more." He says and I sigh. "Drink your tea while I think on this." I roll my eyes but pick the cup back up. "I've got it. Ino can be your fake girlfriend." I almost dump my tea for laughing too hard.

"I thought we were trying to stop people from hassling me." I say and he laughs too. "I don't even know why people like me. I'm an asshole."

"They don't see that until they know you a little better." He says and I shake my head. "But come on, you know why they like you." I regard him dubiously.

"How can I be cute? I don't even do anything to try and be cute. This is literally it…just my face." I say and he smirks.

"Yeah? Well I guess you've just got a cute face." He says and I stick my tongue out at him. "I'm not going to win again?" I set the tea cup down because I'm finished.

"Not if I can help it." I say and he smirks. "What feeble attempt are you going to make at making me blush now?"

"Oh nothing." He stretches, making a point of flexing….but trying to seem nonchalant. I fall off of the bed from laughing so hard. "That's really rude." I stare up at him from the floor. "Come on, you're going to rip open your wound again."

"I'm really okay, Shikamaru. You bandaged it really well earlier." I say as I get up. "I'm very durable, you know. I get knocked around by Kenta-sensei very often."

"I know." He says dryly. "Doesn't mean that I don't worry. I'm actually pretty fond of you, you know."

"Fondness?" I ask, fanning myself with my hand. "I don't know if I can handle that sort of emotion, Shikamaru." He rolls his eyes. "It's okay. I'm really fond of you too."

"Good to know." He says, finishing his own tea. "Do you want some more?" I shake my head. Can I really begin to depend on him more?

* * *

I'm awoken by a flurry of activity. I hear Naruto yelling down the hall. When did he get back? I look at Sasuke and he squeezes his eyes shut tighter before they flutter open. My stomach drops.

"Sasuke?" I ask, putting my hand on his cheek. His hand comes up to cover mine, keeping it there.

"Will you tell Naruto to shut the hell up?" He asks and I can't speak around the lump in my throat.

"C'mon Grandma! You've gotta help Sasuke!" Naruto yells and then they're in the room. I look over and I see her….Tsunade.

"Mina, have you stayed here the whole time?" My brother asks and I look back at him. He's confused. "What happened?"

"You fucking idiot." I say, my voice wobbling with my effort of not crying. "When I say not to do something, don't fucking do it."

"Watch out." Tsunade says and I slide off of the bed and stand beside Naruto. His eyes are very concerned. "Remarkable…" She's reading over his chart now. "You said he just woke up?"

"He woke up and told me to tell Naruto to shut up." I say, in more control of myself now. "They didn't think he'd wake up…"

"What happened?" Sasuke asks again and I bite my cheek. Keep your temper in control. "The last thing I remember is going after Itachi…"

"He used the Tsukuyomi on you." I say and his eyes widen. "You have been in a coma for two weeks."

"You'll stay in the hospital for at least another week for observations, but you seem to be healing at a steady rate." Tsunade says and then I remember what I told Lee. "What?"

"Lady Tsunade…I know you don't owe me anything, but would you please take a look at a friend of mine? His name is Rock Lee…his outlook isn't great." I say and then jump as Naruto gets a burst of energy.

"Oh yeah! Grandma will be able to help Bushy Brow no problem!" Naruto exclaims and the woman looks irritated.

"Naruto, it's not fair to put someone on the spot like that. Lee's injuries are extensive…but it would mean the world if you would at least look at him." I say, looking back at her.

"Well, I am the fifth Hokage." She says and I feel my eyes widen. "You seem to know something about it, want to walk with me?"

"I'll stay with Sasuke, Minako. You go ahead." Naruto urges, grinning at me. "You're really great with the medical stuff!"

"Alright." I say and then Tsunade and I are walking. I lead the way to Lee's room. "He fought a jinchuriki." My tone is quiet, she seems shocked. "His name was Gaara and he used a technique that crushed Lee's left leg and arm. His arm has healed up rather well…but his leg is the real problem. The staff here has tried a lot of different things, but they haven't been able to come up with anything."

"I'll take a look, but the staff here does a decent job. It appears as though they have followed my guidelines." She says and then we stop at the door. I knock.

"You may enter." Lee says and I open the door and walk in. "Minako Uchiha? What are you doing here?"

"Rock Lee, this is Lady Tsunade." I say and his eyes widen before they fill with tears. "I didn't do anything, so just let her examine you alright?"

"Okay. Thank you for coming, Lady Tsunade." Lee says and she smiles briefly as she walks over and reads his chart. "How is Sasuke today, Minako?"

"He woke up." I say and he smiles brightly at me and gives me a thumbs up. Lady Tsunade is examining his leg now. I activate my Sharingan and watch her…I won't copy her actions…but this is a fantastic opportunity.

"Come over here. You know diagnostic jutsu?" She asks and I hum, making the seals for it. "Do you see that right there? That's the biggest problem. There is a surgery, but the chances of surviving it are slim to none."

"So what sort of research do we need to do to improve the chances of survival? We come from a generation of shinobi who refuse to give up…I will work day and night if we can do this. Just point me in the right direction, Lady Tsunade." I say and she looks at me.

"Hold on." She says and then she is speaking directly to Lee. "This is Rock Lee's decision to make. Personally, I would recommend you give up on your career."

"Lady Tsunade. I will not give up." He says very firmly. "I cannot give up on my dream of becoming a splendid ninja using only taijutsu! Even if no one else believes in me! I will believe in myself! I wish to go through with the operation!" She sighs.

"I'll look into it, but don't get your hopes up." She says, but it's too late. There is so much hope there. "And you…Uchiha…I'll take you up on your offer for help. Come with me now." She heads for the door. I squeeze Lee's hand before I follow her. "So what's your story? How'd you get into medical ninjutsu?"

"I was bored at the Academy so I started teaching myself." I say and she stops short. "I've received some instruction from Sachiko Nara…but mostly I'm self-taught."

"Interesting." She says and then she rubs her chin in thought. "Very interesting indeed. Tell me some more about your career."

"Well I'm only a genin. My squad participated in the chunin exams and I made it to the finals…I won my first match but then the attack happened. We've had a few C-rank missions, definitely more D-ranks but we've got bad luck. My sensei is Kenta Miyamoto." I say and she hums. "He's currently away with Ino Yamanaka and my team mates. I'm technically on medical leave, but it's only because the elders were concerned that my older brother was going to try and take me out of the village."

"And other than their concerns, why were you on medical leave?" She asks and I lift my shirt.

"I fought Itachi and he got me pretty good." I say and she hums. "Please don't think that I'm a lunatic…Kakashi-sensei was in serious trouble and Itachi's Sharingan didn't work on me."

"Very interesting." She says and then we're at the medical library. "I'm going to give you some books to look over. Make extensive notes."

"Yes, Ma'am." I say and she starts grabbing some. "So…Sasuke really looked fine?" I couldn't not ask…

"He'll recover. He may need your support, but he'll be okay." She says before she walks over and hands me six books and two scrolls. "This too much for you?"

"Nope, I will have those notes to you as soon as possible." I say and she has a sort of smirk on her face. "I'm going to grab my backpack from Sasuke's room. I won't let you down, Lady Tsunade."

"It's not me you're working for." She says and I smile brightly before I head back to Sasuke's room. He's eating when I arrive.

"Hey, I'd stay and catch up but I've got a lot of work to do." I say as I place the books into my bag. "Do you want anything from home?"

"No…I think I'm alright." He says, seeming surprised. "Try not to overdo it, okay? I don't want you to end up in here from exhaustion."

"I'm sure Yoshino will keep me honest." I say and he raises an eyebrow. "Oh yeah, Shikaku's been babysitting me because they were afraid Itachi was going to come back for me."

"Oh…okay." He says and I go over and kiss his forehead. "Will you come back tomorrow?"

"Of course. I'll bring you your favorite meal." I say with a smile. "I'll even bring extra just in case you have a visitor. Though I can't imagine who'd wanna come see your ass."

"Love you too, Mina." He says dryly. I look over at Naruto and smile. "So what are you guys going to do to help Lee?"

"No clue. I guess there's this surgery, but the survival rate isn't high at all. We're both going to do research though and so hopefully we'll be able to find something out to improve the chances. This stuff seems pretty advanced, but I'm confident that I'll be able to pick it up quickly. Especially since I have an end goal in mind." I say and then I feel a little helpless.

"Hey…I believe in you. Alright?" He says and I smile, hugging him. "Now go…you've got a lot of reading to do."

"Okay. I'll see you tomorrow." I say and then I turn to Naruto. "You don't have to keep an eye on him for me, but it's nice knowing that someone I can trust is here."

"You can count on me, Minako!" He exclaims, giving me a thumbs up. "You do what you need to do to help Bushy Brow!"

"You got it." I say with a smile and I head out. I head straight to the stationary shop and buy myself a few new notebooks. I elect to head back to the Nara's main house at a slow pace…taking to the streets instead of the rooftops. I don't want to push it with my injury. I arrive just as Shikamaru does…which makes sense it is about dinner time. "I'd love to have our daily banter, but Momma's got work to do." I duck under his arm and head straight for the guest room. "I met the fifth Hokage today. Guess who it is."

"I don't know. Who is it?" He asks and I look up at him as I dump the books out onto my bed.

"It's Tsunade. Lady Tsunade tasked me with helping her do research for the surgery to fix Rock Lee's leg." I say and his eyebrows shoot up. "This has to be some sort of hallucination induced by extreme exhaustion or something. I can't believe that this is happening. Oh, also, Sasuke woke up. He's still going to be in the hospital for a while longer, but Lady Tsunade said that he's going to recover."

"Slow down." He says, walking over and sitting down across from me. "I'm worried that you're taking on too much too soon."

"Shikamaru, I'm literally just going to be reading. It's not like I'm going out and learning a new offensive move." I say, giving him 'the look'. "Can you trust me?"

"We'll see." He says, smirking a little bit. "If there's anything I can do to help, just let me know. Okay?"

"You're in the top five when it comes to choices on asking for help. First right now would probably be Sachiko." I say and he offers the 'fair enough' look. "What are my chances of putting off dinner?"

"Slim to none." He says and I look at the books. "We'll pick it up after dinner, alright?" I purse my lips. "Mina. This is what I was talking about. You're no good to Lady Tsunade as a zombie."

"At least I'd be a cute zombie." I say and he rolls his eyes. "Alright. After dinner, but only because I'm more afraid of your mom than I am of you."

"So you do have a sense of self preservation." He says with a smirk and I punch his shoulder. He laughs, following me as I head out of the room. Maybe things will finally stop being shitty long enough for me to accomplish something not based on necessity.


	6. He's Gone

**Overall…I don't think I'm totally satisfied with this chapter. Someday I may come back to it and re-write it. You guys will be the first to know! There are bits that I'm really fond of, but some are just…meh. Anyway, there's a blog for the story now! I plan to post pictures of things that have inspired me as well as songs. I'll share thoughts on the chapters (spoiler free, of course) and I'll answer questions if you guys have any! It's posted on my profile on here, but the URL is blindinglightsuniverse .com (no space in there, because it wouldn't let me do it otherwise...) if you're feeling too lazy to jump over there to check it out. Also, I'd like to point out that the language towards the end of the chapter gets a bit more choice. I tried to keep it to a minimum...but sometimes Minako opens her mouth and the Kenta-sensei that we don't usually get to see comes walking out. Anyway, I really hope that you like this chapter and bear in mind that it will probably be re-written. I just didn't have a great muse for this chapter and my thoughts were jumping ahead. So yeah…on with the chapter!**

I set my pencil down as I notice the sun beginning to peek through the curtains of my room at Shikamaru's house. I sigh and write down the page number that I'm on before I close the book. Well…I may as well take a shower to wake me up. I collect my clothes for the day and head that way. My shower is quick…or as quick as one can shower when their hair is as long as mine. I dry off and dress in my shorts and one of Sasuke's tee shirts. I need to write myself a reminder to get some new clothes. Maybe I should take a short break today...I'll see what Shikamaru's doing. I finish towel drying my hair before I tidy up the bathroom and head back to my room. I brush through my hair before I braid it. I look at the books…but then attach one of my back pouches. I turn my head as I hear the knock on my door frame.

"Just the Pineapple Head I wanted to see." I say with a bright smile at my best friend. "I need your help with something."

"What is it?" Shikamaru asks, leaning against the frame. I give him a very serious look. "You're freaking me out."

"I just need you to get ready and come with me. Okay?" I ask and he nods before he goes to get ready. How long has he been up? I search for Yoshino's chakra signature and follow it to the garden where she is enjoying a cup of tea. "You're going to love me so much."

"So early? You really don't waste time when it comes to hassling Shikamaru, do you?" She asks and I laugh.

"I'm tricking him into going shopping with me." I say, but only because I know he can't hear me.

"Ah, since you'll be going that direction do you mind if I give you a list of things to pick up?" She asks and I clutch my heart.

"You mean…you will allow for me to help out? I must be dreaming." I say and she offers a light-hearted eye roll. "No problem." I grin and she leads the way inside. I tuck the list away when she gives it to me and I go to the front door. Shikamaru arrives and I wordlessly lead the way out. I take off, jumping up onto the roof of the building in front of us and head off in the direction of the shopping district.

"Are you going to tell me what's going on?" He asks, falling into a steady pace at my side.

"I can't. You might get scared and leave me to do it on my own." I say and he becomes even more focused than he was before.

"Minako, what's going on?" His voice is so serious. I spot my intended target and land on the ground in front of it. A specialty clothing shop for kunoichi.

"I need some new clothes and I didn't want to go by myself." I say and he glowers at me. "Are you mad?"

"Only 'cause you made it seem like it was something dangerous. You know, you could have just asked me to come with you." He says and I grin.

"You could never really be mad at me." I say, making a heart with my fingers and grinning at him. "Come on." I lead the way inside and start looking. "I didn't think you'd mind too terribly, seeing as though you were complaining about me wearing Sasuke's clothes yesterday."

"That shirt hangs off of you." He says and I snicker. "If you're wanting to get back into training, you need to dress a little smarter than that."

"Well right now I'm more worried about my research, but I appreciate your concern over my wardrobe choices." I move to a rack of tee shirts and search for my size in the mesh armor ones…I could use a couple of new ones. If I were here with Ino she would insist on me trying things on and discussing the differences between colors. Since I've been so fond of tee shirts lately, I grab a couple of black ones as well as a gray shirt…they're v-necks which are so much more comfortable than crew cut necklines.

"I can hold those for you." He offers and I raise an eyebrow. "Just shut up and hand them over." I smirk and give him the shirts. "Ino would yell at you."

"That's what I was just thinking. So I'll have to make sure I pick something colorful as well. That's always a problem for me though…because what colors can I get that won't totally clash with my clan's crest. You've got it easy, Nara." He shrugs. I move on from the current rack and pick up a blue dress…that would do nicely. I add it to the stack and move on to find some new shorts. The one's I'm currently wearing are a little big. I go with gray, shinobi green, and brown. They'll do nicely. I grab a couple of new pairs of the spandex shorts I like wearing underneath my dresses. Black and gray. I double back and pick up a white shirt and an orange shirt. The orange is to spite Sasuke because the color always immediately reminds him of Naruto which sometimes irritates him….which is a plus in my book. "Ready?" I ask, looking at my friend who looks indifferent. I lead the way to the register and the woman smiles as Shikamaru sets the clothes down on the counter. She probably thinks he's my boyfriend or something. She doesn't say anything which I'm somewhat grateful for. I reach into my pouch but Shikamaru grabs my wrist. I look up and he's holding out the money to the woman. When did she give the total? She accepts it and places the receipt into one of the bags. I'm mad now. Really mad. He goes to grab the bags but I beat him to it. I offer the cashier a smile before we head outside.

"What's wrong?" He asks and I stop, my back is to him. I'm glad I'm holding the bags because I want to punch him. "Minako?"

"You didn't need to do that." I say and I'm surprised at how much emotion is in my voice. "I don't know why you were so worried about it. I didn't bring you along so that you could pay for me. My financial situation is perfectly stable. Being the daughter of the head of one of the main clans in the village means that my brother and I were left a lot of money. On top of that, we support ourselves through taking missions."

"I wasn't saying anything by doing that. I was just trying to be nice." He says, his tone different from what I expect it to be. "Sorry."

"Yeah, just expect me to violently pay you back later." I say and he sighs. "Seriously, Shikamaru. We live where we do because that's what we want, not because that's all we can afford."

"You're in a bad mood." He says and then realization hits him. "You didn't sleep." I ignore the realization and hand him the list.

"Your mom wanted us to pick that stuff up. Let's get over there before all the vegetables are picked over." I say and then I'm walking that way.

"We can do that, but you're not avoiding my questions." He says and I toss a glare in his direction. "You don't intimidate me."

"No I didn't sleep. I achieved a state of flow which is necessary for the success of my current goal." I use a light tone. I don't want to be grumpy with him. I also don't want him to tell me what to do. "I slept the night before though." Only for like four hours, but I've survived on less sleep than that before.

"I'm going to start taking your books away." He says dryly. I roll my eyes as he takes the bags and hands me the list. "Teach me about vegetables."

"The genius Shikamaru Nara needs help in picking out good vegetables?" I ask in mock surprise. "Watch and learn." I put on a bright smile. "Good morning Mr. Kobayashi!"

"Ah, Minako! It's so great to see you! I was worried since I haven't in a while. How are things going?" The grocer asks with a fond smile.

"Things are slowly getting better. Sasuke's in the hospital and so I've been staying with the Naras." I explain and he nods his understanding. "I'm here for Mrs. Nara today. This is her son and my best friend, Shikamaru."

"It's nice to meet you, Shikamaru. I am Naoto Kobayashi, the owner of this fine establishment." He says, gesturing grandly to the shop behind him. It's a cheerful little store. The sign has always been my favorite part because of the picture of a dancing turnip on it.

"Nice to meet you too." Shikamaru says, seeming to feel a little awkward. I wonder what his deal is.

"Alright you two, follow me." Mr. Kobayashi says and we do. He leads the way to the back of the store. All of his vegetables are extremely fresh, but the ones here usually haven't been touched yet. He always lets me have first pick. "Just let me know if you need anything."

"Always, but you know my eye for vegetables is almost as good as yours. If I ever have to retire, I think I may open up a rival store." I say and he laughs, a cheerful belly laugh, as he heads out to the main part. That's a running joke between the two of us. "He taught me the stuff that I needed to know when I first started coming to the market by myself."

"So what's with the cute level being turned up?" Shikamaru asks and I can't help but laugh as I start looking for the things we need.

"Bartering. Mr. Kobayashi can high ball sometimes and so I work him back down to a very fair price." I say and he shakes his head. "What's that?"

"Oh nothing." He says and then he's watching me. I'm too lazy to explain what I'm doing. I select the final vegetable and place it into the basket I've been using and we head out. Vegetables are all that Yoshino asked for. I place the basket on the counter and smile up at the man. He looks over the basket and hums.

"This looks to be about your usual…obviously a little more since it's for more people. So how about what you usually pay and a half?" He starts, raising an eyebrow. He's not very firm…that is a fair price, but I never accept the first offer.

"It's only two more people than I'm normally feeding. How about my usual and a third?" I ask with a bright smile. We never outright say what I normally pay because I'm his favorite customer.

"Deal." He says and I take out my money as he bags the groceries. I hand it over, ignoring Shikamaru. "I hope that Sasuke gets better soon. I always enjoy seeing you kids."

"He's mostly in for observation right now. So we should both be home very soon. I'll see you later, Mr. Kobayashi." I say with a bright smile and then Shikamaru and I are out of there. "If you tell your mother that I paid, I promise you that retribution will be swift and painful."

"The famous Minako Uchiha negotiation skills." He says sarcastically. "And what if the money just so happens to turn up? What would you do then?'

"My darling, you don't want to know what I'd do." I say with a sinister smile. "It might include wrapping the bills around kunai and shoving them so far up your….Good morning, Asuma-sensei!" I call brightly as I see the man. I haven't actually seen him since the fight with Itachi and Fish Face.

"Good morning, you two." He says around his usual cigarette. "What's got you up so early, Shikamaru? Don't you usually sleep late on your days off?"

"Minako is a bad influence." He says dryly and I snicker. "We were doing some shopping for my mom." Asuma-sensei definitely wants to tease his student, but he elects not to. Kenta-sensei would have been so evil in this moment.

"That's great. How's your injury healing up, Minako?" He asks, turning his intelligent gaze on me.

"For the most part it's all better. The Nara Mother Hens have been slathering it with some miracle salve that's…..that's it!" I exclaim, my eyes widening. "I've got to go!" I take off running, faster than I have in a long time due to my injury. I make it back in no time. I drop the vegetables off in the kitchen, barely stopping before I run back to my room and gather my books into my backpack. I nearly run into Shikamaru on my way out. "Please set those on my bed, I don't have time to explain! I'll be back!" I'm traveling by rooftop now, ignoring his shouts. I am behaving like a lunatic. In spite of that I make it to the Hokage tower. I take the steps two at a time. I'm panting by the time I reach the top. I take a moment to collect myself before I head inside and go to Shikaku's office. I knock on the door.

"Come in." He calls and I walk in. "Minako? Is everything alright?" I must seem worn out like I did the last time I came to his office.

"Everything's fine." I say, pushing my hair back and letting out a breath. "Okay, so you know how I've been trying to figure out a way to improve Rock Lee's chances of surviving that surgery?" He nods, gesturing for me to go on. "You owe me absolutely nothing, but I was wondering if I could have your permission to utilize the Nara's medical knowledge. Or if you could ask someone to help Lady Tsunade and I."

"You're really putting your all into this, aren't you?" He asks and I nod. "I'll talk with Lady Tsunade. Why don't you deliver your notes to her and then go home and get some sleep. You need it."

"Okay." I say, accepting this. "I'm sorry if I put you on the spot. I was just thinking of that salve and how it's helped me heal and I got excited."

"You're learning to rely on others. I couldn't be more thrilled." He says and that brings some heat to my cheeks. "The Hokage is in, though I'd tread carefully. She seems to be in a bad mood today."

"I can handle bad moods. I've dealt with Sasuke for five years by myself." I say and he chuckles. "I'll see you at home."

"Yes." He says, nodding. I back out of his office and close the door behind me. I head to Lady Tsunade's office and knock on the door.

"What is it!?" Lady Tsunade barks and I enter. "What do you want?" I ignore it just like I would with Sasuke.

"Just delivering my notes. Shikaku Nara is going to visit later to speak with you about possibly accessing the Nara Medical Library. I don't know how much good it will do, but it's an idea at least. I've had access to their salves for my injuries in the past and they're better than any of the general stuff I've picked up at the hospital." I say as I empty my backpack. Shizune is holding the little pig, Tonton.

"You little brat." She says and I look at her, both eyebrows raised. I hope it looks like shock instead of a challenge. "Why didn't I think of that…"

"You've got other things you're dealing with Milady." I say, promoting respect in my tone. "You're the Hokage and so you've got other important things on your mind. I need to get some sleep though, so I'll be at the Nara's main house. If you need me to explain something that I wrote down, please send for me."

"Of course." Shizune says, smiling politely to me. "Try not to wear yourself out too badly. You're still on medical leave."

"Even if I wanted to, Yoshino Nara wouldn't let me." I say and then I bow respectfully to Lady Tsunade. I duck out of the office and pass Shikaku on my way out. I smile and offer a small wave. He smiles a warm fatherly smile and nods at me. I head outside and as I reach the bottom of the stairs, I decide to head over to the hospital to check on Sasuke. He's awake when I get up to his room and he's bored out of his mind. "Hey." I say, leaning against the door frame.

"Mina." He says, his scowl disappearing and being replaced by a smile. "What are you doing?"

"I had to stop by and talk to the Hokage, so I thought I'd stop in and check on you." I say and then I yawn.

"You didn't sleep last night, did you?" He asks and I smile, almost sheepishly. He sighs, but he knows there's no use in trying to tell me what to do. Especially when he's stuck here. "You can sleep here if you want." He's worried about me.

"Okay." I say with a nod. I take off my backpack and step out of my sandals before I climb into bed next to him. I always feel a lot safer when I'm next to him. "I may have found a way to help Lee."

"That's great." He says and I hear the smile. "What is it? Or is it way too technical for someone like me to understand?"

"Well, it's not technical at all. I just asked Shikaku if we could have access to the Nara clan medical library…or access to someone with access who would be willing to help." I say and he hums. "I really hope that we can figure something out. I don't want to let Lee down."

"Why is it such a big deal to you?" He asks and I open my eyes. He's not being rude, he's just curious.

"I owe him." I say and he's confused now. "In the Forest of Death. When you were unconscious and Sakura was fighting those Sound shinobi by herself. He stepped in…yeah, he didn't defeat them, but he still stepped in and gave it just enough time for help to arrive. If not for he and Sakura and Team Asuma…you could have been dead." I give that a moment to sink in. "Also…I sort of relate to him. All his life people have told him that he couldn't become a successful shinobi just because he has no ninjutsu or genjutsu, but he said 'fuck you, yeah I can'….well maybe not exactly, but…"

"It's kind of like you." He says and I hear the slight smile. "Father told you that you couldn't and so now you are. I think I understand now. Itachi is partially right about something…your heart is soft, but it doesn't make you weak. It makes you stronger and I've always been amazed by that."

"You can love people and still be a badass. I wish you understood that." I say, smirking a little.

"I love you…and I…care about my team." He says and my smirk turns into a soft smile. "What have you done to me?"

"I believe that I finally beat the stupid out of you. I'm so proud of myself." I say, opening my eyes and looking up at him. I yawn again, this time it's much bigger. "But jokes and sass aside…it's okay to rely on other people. Naruto and Sakura really care about you too and so it's okay to let yourself get close to them. Sakura and Ino have chilled out so much since graduation, it's beautiful and I feel like I can comfortably be good friends with them again. And Shikaku offered to let us stay with them if we didn't feel safe at the apartment. I declined…but they are supportive of us. Your heart is so capable of love and I want you to embrace that…I feel like you'll be a lot happier and that's really all I want for you."

"Mina…" He starts and then he smiles a little. "I'm…concerned about…not being strong enough to protect you."

"Then let me stand up with you and we can protect each other while we protect the people we love. Sound like a deal?" I ask, raising an eyebrow. "Because I cut Itachi, Sasuke…I made him bleed." His eyes are wide now. "He only got me after I got him. I wasn't quick enough to get away after using a new technique that I've been working on with Kenta-sensei."

"We can talk more about it later. Get some sleep." He says, letting his head fall back. I sigh, but close my eyes again. I match my breathing with his and slowly I slip away...things will get back to normal eventually.

* * *

"Minako!" Sakura shouts from outside the window and I rush over there. "You have to come quickly!" I don't hesitate to vault from the window.

"What's going on?" I ask, my tone not taking its usual light friendliness. I'm all business, because Sakura wouldn't come running like this for some stupid reason.

"I think Sasuke is going to try and leave the village." She says and my heart dips into the pit of my stomach. "You were the only person I could think of who could possibly stop him."

"He's still in the hospital?" I ask and she nods. I push myself to go faster in spite of how tired I am. I only just got back myself.

"He's upset because of how much Naruto has grown and he…he pushed me down." She says, sounding like she's about to cry. "It's unlike him…"

"Yeah. He's a dick, but he's not that big of a dick." I say and then I nod. "I'll stop him, but I need you to go to Lady Tsunade."

"I'm on it!" She says and then she breaks off. I make my way to the hospital and frown when I don't sense his chakra there. I do, however, sense Kakashi-sensei. So I go to him.

"He's going to try and leave. We need to find him and talk him down right now." I say as I skid to a halt right in front of him. "I can't stop him on my own."

"Right." He says and then we're outside. He summons his ninja hounds. "Find Sasuke Uchiha." They disperse

"I sent Sakura to get Lady Tsunade." I say and he nods. "He wants to go because he doesn't think he's getting strong enough. I don't know what to do."

"First of all, collect yourself." He says and I nod, taking a deep and calming breath. "Second, we will find him before we worry about what we're going to say to him. So we'll do that now. Search some of his thinking spots. I'll look too."

"Right." I say and he tosses me a comm set. I put it on and switch it on. "I'll let you know if I find him."

"If you do…do your best not to engage him. I know that you've gotten strong, but if that curse mark's seal gets broken you won't stand a chance." He says and I nod before I take off running. Where did I go wrong in trying to make sure he wanted to stay here? I was supportive…I trained with him when everyone else was busy. I've been so careful…I haven't been injured seriously since my fight with Itachi. He has gotten so strong and he's seemed to be getting happier…but I guess I don't know him as well as I think I do.

"Minako. I caught sight of him. He's headed your way." Kakashi's voice echoes through the ear piece and I make my way to the park. That's where I stop. I can't sit down though…so I pace until I hear him land behind me.

"You're thinking of leaving." It isn't a question. I turn around and face him, my expression neutral.

"Yeah." He says…almost sounding lame. "I am…and you're not going to stop me. You're going to stay here and continue on this path." I raise my eyebrows.

"And what makes you think that I will listen?" I ask, still remaining neutral. I'm curious as to what his response could possibly be.

"Because…this is what you want. To stay in the village…pursue the career that you've wanted since we were little kids. You don't want to defect from here…this is your home." He says and that's where my patience is broken.

"This is our home." I say and he notices the change in my attitude. "Sasuke….the only way you will leave this village is if I am dead. Because I would rather be dead than live my life knowing that my brother left me behind to pursue power."

"You can't do that." He says, his voice is a little choked. "You can't possibly say that to me…you've known all along what my goal was."

"And you've known what mine was. We're a family, remember? We will be fine as long as we stick together." I say, not leaving room for an argument. "And I don't mean that I will take my own life…the only way that you will leave this village is by stepping over my dead body. I am willing to discuss the options with you, Sasuke. What do you need in order to stay here? What do you need for me to keep you away from Orochimaru?"

"Power." He says and I don't change my expression. Kakashi-sensei is getting closer. "Power that I cannot achieve here. Orochimaru gave me a gift."

"He gave you a curse that will literally eat away at you until you are nothing. So that is not an option, because you are not nothing. You are Sasuke Uchiha and you can become powerful without someone handing it to you." I say and that strikes a chord. "If you defeat Itachi after training with Orochimaru, it won't be because you yourself was strong enough to do it. It would only be because someone handed you the ability to do it. That isn't power. That's pathetic. And I will not stand by while my brother stoops to pathetic means to avenge the death of our family. I'd rather do it myself and I don't even care about him anymore." I take a step towards him. "So you can go ahead and try to defect from this village. But just know that I will be there and you will have to kill me to accomplish that goal." Kakashi-sensei lands behind him. Lady Tsunade and Sakura are with him.

"How can you possibly put me in that position!?" He shouts at me and Sakura goes to move forward but Kakashi-sensei holds out his hand. "Making me choose between you and following my destiny!"

"Destiny is bull shit!" I shout back at him. He bristles, but then relaxes. He knows better than to lash out at me like that. "I don't know how you can still believe in that shit with Naruto Uzumaki as your best friend and team mate. People laid out a path for him but he said 'fuck you, I'll do it my way'! His dream is to become Hokage! He doesn't think it's his destiny, but he's gonna fucking do everything he can! I think that's why he's getting better faster than you are! You're bogged down by this hatred when you have so much love in your heart! You have so much more love in your heart, so stop being a stupid little fuck and deal with your emotions like a man!"

"Itachi loved us! So if he had all of that love how could he do that!?" He screams at me and I take a shaky breath.

"I don't know." I say calmly. "Maybe he went crazy…maybe father did something so abhorrent to him that he couldn't stand the idea of any of them living. I doubt I have anything to do with it, but Itachi was always the one to patch me back up when Father would get mad at me for trying to follow my dreams and beat the shit out of me." Sasuke's eyes widen considerably and he falls to his knees. "I never told you because I didn't want you to worry about it. And it did happen whenever I would train with him so it isn't like I was completely lying to you."

"Mina…" He says and I walk over to him. He hugs me around my waist, burying his face in my stomach. I place my hand on top of his head. I'm honestly surprised that I'm not crying. "Is that why you don't want me to avenge them?"

"Are you stupid? Or do you just not listen?" I ask, my tone staying the same. "I don't want you to avenge them because it won't make you feel any better. I would rather just ignore Itachi's existence altogether because killing him won't bring the rest of them back. In spite of what he did, I still loved Father. But what I want you to do is focus on cherishing what you have around you. Cherish Kakashi-sensei, Sakura, and Naruto. Cherish Teuchi because that's damn good ramen. Mr. Kobayashi because he gives us the best vegetables for a fantastic price. Mr. Nakajima for helping us train when we first moved into the apartment. You have so many people rooting for you to just be yourself…so cherish them instead of trying to chase down something that won't make you feel any better."

"I don't know if I can give up that easily…" He says and I make him look up at me. He has tears in his eyes.

"Sasuke, you wouldn't be related to me if you could give up anything easily. I'm not going to pretend to believe for a second that the idea of leaving the village is out of your head and you're a moron if you think I'll drop my guard. I meant what I said. The only way you will defect from this village is if you step over my dead body." I'm repeating myself, but he needs to know that I'm serious. He needs to understand that I'm not giving up without a fight. "We'll have stretch goals…promise me that in the next twenty-four hours you will not leave the village." He looks into my eyes.

"I can promise that." He says and I nod. He means it. I step back and hold out my hand to him. He takes it and allows for me to help him up.

"It's always nice when siblings can sort out their differences. Don't you think, Lady Tsunade?" Kakashi-sensei says in the way that only he can. "Now Sasuke, you should probably return to the hospital. They weren't quite ready to release you yet."

"Get your ass back to the hospital before I kick it all the way there." I growl and he looks concerned. "I have been up for twenty-four hours and I am so not in the mood for any more of your shit." Shikaku lands beside Lady Tsunade.

"You sent for me, Milady?" He asks in his usual cool tone. Lady Tsunade gets an intelligent smirk on her face as she turns to him.

"Yes. You requested that I inform you if there is anything you can do concerning the Uchiha family. I don't believe that Sasuke is dumb enough to think that he won't be under observation and so I figured I'd ask you to do it. Since you do such a great job keeping Minako out of trouble." She says and Sasuke looks at me, he's concerned. "Until we can figure something else out, that is."

"Of course." He says with a nod. They want us somewhere with more people so that I'm not alone trying to stop him.

"Go back to the hospital. I'll pack for you. Any requests?" I ask and he opens and closes his mouth a couple of times. "She only wants us there so that I'm not trying to stop you alone. I don't want to die, but I'm not above it to try and stop you. You did this to yourself, buddy."

"No special requests." He says with a sigh. "I'll be at the hospital…I promise." I nod and he goes with Kakashi-sensei. I press the heels of my hands to my eyes. I can't cry now.

"If it makes you feel better…Yoshino may let you help out this time around." Shikaku says and I smile, letting myself release some of the tension. "Since you're not injured."

"Maybe a little better." I say, letting my hands fall to my side. Then I remember the comm set. "Oh crap, I forgot to give this back to Kakashi-sensei." I take it off.

"I can give it back to him for you." Sakura says, stepping forward. "But ah…Minako…I…"

"It's okay, you can hug me if you'd like." I say and then she crashes into me, hugging me hard. "I'm really okay, Sakura. I promise."

"I just don't understand how you can carry all of that around and still smile like you do…and make fun of Shikamaru and flirt with Ino…all of it. How do you do it?" She asks and I laugh.

"I don't like to brag, but I'm a pretty strong individual. I bench pressed Izanagi once." I say and she gapes at me. "It was for like a second, but I still did it." I laugh then. "I don't know. I just don't think of it as shit to deal with…it's been dealt with. I meant every word I said, but it was meant to keep him here. Even if for just one more day, it still worked. I'm working on my material for tomorrow. I'm hoping it won't be so dramatic. I'm exhausted."

"I have an idea. I can help you pack. It'll go a lot faster with two of us. You can get to sleep sooner that way." She says brightly.

"That's a great idea, thank you." I say with a smile. "And Shikaku…thank you for offering your home to us….again."

"Any time. You hardly take up much space and you seem to have a good handle on that brother of yours." He says and I laugh.

"God knows I try." I say and let out a breath. "Okay, we're off then if you don't need anything else, Lady Tsunade." I turn to the Hokage and she's sizing me up.

"Nothing today. Stop by my office tomorrow whenever you're not busy." She says and I feel my eyebrows furrow together. "It's nothing bad."

"Okay." I say with a nod…then Sakura and I set off…walking this time around. "I know he's an asshole most of the time, but you do mean a lot to him." Her cheeks are bright pink. "Maybe not in the romantic sense…"

"I'm okay with that." She says with a nod. "As long as I'm able to support he and Naruto…that's what matters to me now."

"And I really respect that." I say and she looks surprised. "You and Ino have really calmed down since the Academy."

"Sorry if I made that awkward for you…" She looks away now, still blushing a little bit. "I just…I didn't realize that there was so much more to the world. I was so sheltered…"

"That's not your fault." I say brightly. "What matters is what you're doing to improve yourself now. Sasuke mentioned that you've gotten a lot stronger since you three first started."

"He really said that?" She asks, looking absolutely shocked. "Sasuke said that I…" Her cheeks are bright red. "Oh wow…"

"Don't sound so surprised. If you put in the hard work, you're going to see results. Tenten and I have been meeting up and working on seals and chakra control stuff…if you wanted to, I'm sure she wouldn't mind if you came with us. We only do it when we have free time which is admittedly not as often as I'd like, but you're more than welcome."

"That sounds like fun." She says, smiling. "It'll be good to start hanging out with you again…it's been so long."

"Kunoichi classes were my favorite part about the Academy." I say with a bit of a laugh. "It wasn't exactly something that I was learning brand new, but it was fun to learn with you guys."

"You and Ino always had the prettiest bouquets." She says and I smile. We arrive at my apartment building and climb the stairs.

"Do you know how to seal stuff in basic storage scrolls?" I ask and she shakes her head. "Then I'll show you how to do it. It's really easy."

"Okay." She says and I lead the way to my room. I open my desk and take out the empty scrolls. They've got the seals in place already, all they're waiting for is the items. I go over to my dresser and grab the two sets of pajamas sitting there. I roll out the scroll and set them on top.

"So you just grab what you want to seal and place it on the seal as centered as you can get it. Form the ram seal and then press down on the item." I say as I demonstrate. "Got it?"

"Yup." She says brightly. "How about you hand stuff over and I'll seal it? That'll be faster."

"Sounds good to me." I say as I grab my second backpack and set it on the chair. "Just toss them in there when you're done sealing." She nods and I move to the dresser and grab what I need. We finish packing the clothes I'll need pretty quickly. I throw in the scroll from my nightstand before I fold the blanket at the foot of my bed up and slide it in.

"Huh…I thought that was Sasuke's blanket." She says and I look up at her and smile. She visited him almost as much as I did when he was in that coma.

"Our mother started making it for me before she passed away and so I finished it…I sleep with it every night I'm home and so I thought that it would make him feel better if he were to wake up and I wasn't there to know that I was still there in a way." I say with a shrug. "I made him a blanket like it."

"That's so sweet." She says with a smile. "Is this everything you need?" I nod and lead the way out of my room. I set my backpacks down on the couch before I lead the way into Sasuke's room. I dump the extra scrolls onto his desk and start grabbing his things. As I turn to hand over some clothes I see that she's holding the picture from his nightstand of Team Seven. "Oh, I'm sorry." She jumps, noticing that I'm waiting and sets the picture back down before she seals the pile away. We finish in no time. I fold his blanket and put it in his backpack. "He's a complicated guy, isn't he?"

"He's just still trying to figure out how he handles grief." I say and she looks at me in question. "Well I handle grief by remaining active. If I sit still and stew, I don't handle it. I remain depressed. I'm a doer. Sasuke thinks that by avenging our family he will be released from his grief, but that's not the case. Grief doesn't go away…it just gets easier to handle."

"I can't say that I understand at all." She says, looking away. "I wish that I could…so that I could help in some way."

"You don't have to understand to help…Just be there for him…support him. That's all I do. Sure it's a little different because I'm his sister, but you didn't earn a position in his positive regard by doing nothing. Just be yourself, Sakura." I say and she looks at me for a moment before she gets a look of determination. "Alright…I think this will do."

"I can help you carry it over to Shikamaru's house…since there are three bags." She says and I smile, handing her Sasuke's bag. I go to the living room and should my mission pack.

"Let's get going." I say and we set off again, walking. We walk in a comfortable silence until we arrive. I knock on the door and Yoshino answers with a smile on her face. "Yoshino, this is my friend Sakura."

"It's nice to meet you, Sakura. Come inside." She says and we enter and take off our shoes. "I have the guest rooms ready for you two. Go ahead and set the bags down and then we can have a cup of tea."

"Okay." I say and then I head back towards the room I stay in. I set my bags down before I lead the way to the second guest room. It's much like mine, but the bed clothes are brown instead of yellow. Sakura sets Sasuke's bag down and we head to the dining room just as Yoshino sets the tray down on the table.

"Now can you tell me a little more about what happened?" She asks and I let out a laugh. Sakura sits down beside me, hands folded politely in her lap.

"So I had just returned home after a physically taxing mission and Sakura came to get me…saying that Sasuke was going to leave the village. So I went and found Kakashi-sensei and we split up to find him. Long story short, I chewed him out and said enough so that he promised that he would stay in the village for at least twenty-four more hours. We're working in small increments so that he doesn't have huge promises to make that might stress him out."

"Sounds like you girls have had a tough day." She says and I let out a breath. "I'll give you a couple of days to rest and calm down, Minako, but then I'd like for you to help me out around the house when you're not busy with work."

"My prayers have been answered!" I exclaim, jumping up and raising my arms to the heavens. "Yoshino Nara is going to let me help out! Blessed be this day!" Sakura laughs. Okay, for real this time…things should start to get normal again.

* * *

"You're especially aggressive today." Sasuke says, holding his shoulder as he lands in a crouch a little ways away from me. We're sparring.

"Eh, I'm in a bad mood. And I'm proving to you that I can help you get stronger." I say, rolling my own shoulder. "If I have to beat the crud out of you to prove it, then I guess I'm okay with that."

"Mina…" He says and I raise my eyebrows in question. "We're working on it, okay?" I purse my lips.

"Yeah, so I'm working on proving to you that I can help you. I'm not going to hand anything to you because that's the weak man's way out of things. If you expect me to have respect for you, you've got to work harder than this." My tone is cheerful and conversational. "I hope that my respect for you matters."

"You're the only person that's ever been proud of me." He says and I smile, shaking my head.

"Mother was proud of you. Kakashi-sensei is proud of you in his own way. Sakura's proud of you. Naruto may make fun of you something like me, but he's proud of you. Iza and Jun care about you as well…" I say and he smiles a little bit. "I'm telling you. Staying here in the village with people who care about you will make you even stronger than going somewhere where nobody gives a rat's ass about you. Orochimaru just wants your body for sick, perverse experiments."

"You know I planned on killing him after he taught me enough, right?" He asks and I use the phoenix flower jutsu.

"That doesn't make me feel better. You aren't the kind of guy who would use and abuse others for your own personal gain. You're so much better than that." I say and then I get into a low stance. "Now, let's see how you do with a katana." I draw my own.

"Mina." Sasuke groans, but he draws his weapon and stands to defend himself. "We've been at this for hours. I only just got out of the hospital yesterday…"

"If you're well enough to try and kill Naruto, you're well enough to spar your sister. I am only a little girl after all." I say and then I offer a cute smile.

"Yeah….right." He says and then I'm attacking him. He's awkward and slow and I can tell that it's annoying him. "How are you so comfortable with that!?"

"I've been working on it for a while now. Not to mention my work with the tanto before. It took a bit for me to get used to the weight and the length, but now I see the katana as an extension of my arm. You should really see me dual wield. I about took Kenta-sensei's head off one time. It was great." I say and he laughs. He blocks one of my strikes. "That was good, a little sloppy but you may make a great swordsman yet!"

"Thanks." He says and then I can see that he is really tired. I back off and put my sword away.

"Why don't you go and rest some? I'll check on you later." I say and he puts his sword away before he walks over and hugs me. "Ew you're sweaty and gross. Let go of me."

"This is my revenge since you kicked my butt without breaking a sweat." He says and I successfully break out of his hold. "Alright. I'll see you in a while." I hum and kiss his cheek.

"Don't forget to see if Yoshino needs help doing anything. I've got something I've got to check on." I say and he nods before he heads inside. I don't really have anything to check on…I just need to think. I head for my favorite thinking spot…which is at the very top of the front gate of the village. As I arrive, I notice someone already sitting there. Shikamaru? He looks up as I land lightly beside him. "What are you doing up here?"

"Looking for you." He says and I raise an eyebrow. He hasn't even been home yet. "After we turned in our mission reports, my dad had somebody call me to his office and he told me what happened. Are you okay?" I sigh as I sit down.

"We're taking it a day at a time. Today seems to be a good day." I say and he hums. "I said something that I seriously meant, but I don't think he believes I'm serious."

"What'd you say?" He asks and I hug my knees to my chest, staring out over the treetops. "Minako?"

"I told him that the only way he would be leaving this village is if he stepped over my dead body." I say and he tenses up beside me. "I'd rather be dead than let him do something like that…to go to a person who doesn't care about him…who only wants to use his body for his own personal gains. If Sasuke insists on avenging our family I want him to do it by his own power…not by the power handed to him by an evil creature."

"You're going to give me gray hair." He says with a sigh. "And don't worry. He knows that you mean it. You wanna sit up here for a while?"

"I don't know what I want right now." I say with a sigh of my own. "Why? You have something else in mind?"

"I was going to run by and drop off my mission pack." He says and I stand up. I really don't want to be alone right now and he is usually the best option to be around. If he doesn't mind, I'll stick with him for now. He stands and we head back to his house. "What do you want to do today?"

"I don't feel like doing much, actually." I say and he stops and stares at me like I just sprouted a second head. "What?"

"You…Minako Uchiha…uninjured and in perfect health…do not want to do anything?" He asks and I regard him dryly. "It's worse than I thought. Come on."

"What are you on about?" I ask, following him. "I do know how to not be active…I've been friends with you for all of these years."

"Har de har." He says and I laugh. We arrive back at his house and head inside. "Give me half an hour."

"Shikamaru, take your time. It's not like we have a schedule to keep." I say and he just shakes his head before he heads off to his room. I push out my senses and find Sasuke's chakra. He's asleep. I suppress my own chakra and silence my foot steps and head to Sasuke's room. I open the door and stand there. The only time he looks peaceful is when he's asleep and that breaks my heart…He used to be so care free. Sure he was obsessed with training hard enough to impress our father, but he always laughed with me. He was what kept me relaxed…now I feel like I haven't relaxed a day in my life. Even when I do hang out with Shikamaru…I'm never at peace. I smile as I notice that he's using the blanket I made him…that always makes me happy. I quietly shut the door behind me before I go to my room. I set my katana and my tanto with my mission supplies. I really should keep them on me…or at least one of them. Well…I can essentially turn anything into a weapon and I have more than enough kunai to supply my entire squad…I'll be okay.

"Minako?" Shikamaru asks and I jump. I turn around and see him standing in the doorway. He's showered and changed and apparently ready to go. "Stop that suppression thing. It freaks me out."

"Sorry, I was checking on Sasuke and he has this weird thing where if I approach while he's asleep he's immediately up and ready to kill someone." I say and he regards me dryly. "I'm the same way. With a few people actually. Junichi notices it more than anyone."

"Yeah, that's why he woke me up for watch duty that one night in the Forest of Death. He says he hadn't seen you so asleep ever." He says and I shrug. "How you aren't exhausted all the time surprises me."

"That's where you're wrong, my dear Shikamaru. I'm always exhausted. You've just never seen me not exhausted." I say and he shakes his head. "Anyway, you were going to show me how to be unmotivated?"

"Actually, I was going to see if you wanted to go out for lunch." He says and I raise an eyebrow. "What's that?"

"Oh, nothing." I say and then I take a look at myself in the mirror. "Ino would kill me if I went out in public looking like this. Shoo for a moment, would you?" He rolls his eyes but leaves, closing the door behind him. I change into my new blue dress. Underneath it I sport black spandex shorts. Everything's a little shorter than I normally wear, but it's comfortable because of how hot it's gotten. Also, Sasuke complains about my clothes anyway, so it will be fun to annoy him even more. I attach my pouches and head out of the room after tying my hair up in a messy bun. Today is not a day where I feel like messing with the long hair. Shikamaru, who has been leaning against the wall opposite my room, stands up straight when I walk out. "I know, I look weird without all of my weapons, but I'm trying to be less paranoid. You should be proud of me."

"I am proud of you." He says and I smile…that warms my heart. We head towards the front of the house and he stops to poke his head into the kitchen. "We're going out." I hear a crash and my instincts carry me forward.

"Oh, okay." Yoshino says, putting a hand over her heart. "Okay, go on." I'm confused…why did she react that way? "Be back before dinner."

"I would never skip out on helping you cook, Yoshino." I say brightly and she smiles before we head off. "What was that about?"

"No clue." He says, but something tells me that he has a clue. "How's Sasuke been?" A tactful change of subject.

"He got pretty beat up on his last mission…just got out of the hospital yesterday. I think that he's just overwhelmed right now. How'd your mission go?"

"It went well." He says and I wonder why he doesn't want to talk about it. "Ino almost got hurt." Ah, that's it. "She needs to get more serious."

"She will…maybe a little faster now that she's been in that kind of situation." I say, my tone full of understanding. Junichi is my Ino. He's always carried himself well….always been super confident in everything that he does. I've had to save his butt more times than I can count. How is it that our missions always end up being worse than what we believe? I think I'll blame the Uchiha blood. I'm a trouble magnet. "Jun's gotten better about being cocky, so I'm confident that Ino can. She's not stupid."

"You're right." He agrees, sounding like he feels at least a little better about the situation. As much as he complains about her, he really cares. "Speaking of stupid…what kind of trouble have you gotten yourself into lately?" He is unprepared for the punch to his shoulder. "Jeez!"

"Asshole. I don't get myself into trouble. Trouble finds me and I kindly return it." I say, my tone harsh but I'm really checking over him to make sure I didn't actually hurt him. "Sorry, I'm in a bad mood. Sasuke took the brunt of it, but I guess I missed you too much and my aggression had to come out somehow."

"That's gonna bruise." He says, but he sounds amused. "So you missed me? What is it you're always saying? People are going to think that I'm in love with you? I think it might be the other way around." I gasp, thinking of an embarrassing moment to force myself to blush and I stare at him with wide eyes.

"S-shikamaru?" I ask and he raises an eyebrow. "How did you know?" Both eyebrows now.

"Stop with the doe eyes already, you're not that great of an actress." He says and I laugh heartily.

"Doe eyes? Why does it always come back to deer with you?" I ask and he glowers at me, but it doesn't reach his eyes.

"Must be all of your terribly deer puns for the first couple years of our friendship. I was so glad when you ran out." He says and I laugh again. "If humor weren't how you dealt with things then…I don't think I could have handled it."

"Thank you for your patience." I say, some seriousness to my tone even though I'm still laughing. "How did you handle all of that? I would've killed me."

"You're not nearly as troublesome as other girls. So since you weren't bad in that respect, I was able to overlook the general troublesome behaviors." He says and I shake my head. "Girls are crazy mean."

"Because most of them are in competition." I say, thinking back to Ino and Sakura's behavior…I'm glad that they've settled down at least a little bit. They could probably work together on a mission…but that's it. "I could care less if someone is better than me. As long as I can get done what I need to get done."

"Which you do…and then some." He says and I shrug. "Alright. Here we are." He has stopped in front of a café. I raise an eyebrow at him. This is a lot different from where we normally go. "Shut up." He leads the way inside. We sit down at a table and he orders for us… Sometimes it astounds me how well he truly knows me. I've never even actually told him what my favorite food is…he just knows. "How'd the surgery go?"

"It was successful." I say with a smile. "He's still got a long road to recovery, but he'll get there. But now I have a question for you." I rest my chin in my hand as I watch him closely. "Why'd your mom freak out when you said we were going out?"

"A stupid conversation over dinner before I left for my mission." He says and I raise an eyebrow in interest. "When you look at me like that, you almost look like a predator."

"Aww, but you called me cute just the other day." I say sweetly and he just gets that….almost proud look on his face.

"Predators can be cute…you lure people in with that face of yours and then you tear them a new one." He says and I snort. "I'm still wondering how you do it…going from cute to homicidal in less than a second."

"That's easy…I have a brother." I say and he shakes his head. "It's true! You know as well as anybody I have to put him back in his place from time to time. I don't know why I'm defending myself to you." I toss my hair the best I can in its current style and fold my arms across my chest.

"You almost look like an heiress when you do that." He says, very obviously teasing me now.

"Somebody wants to spar Minako pretty badly." I say with a sad shake my head. "Shikamaru, when will you learn to keep that big mouth of yours shut?"

"The same day you do." He says and he laughs as I kick his shin under the table. An older couple that's been watching us chuckles at us.

"Alright then. I aspire to be even scarier than your mother. That might shut you up." I say and he just laughs harder. It's unusual, but it's a nice sound coming from him.

"Young love." The old man says and I feel my cheeks heat up, but I'm smiling. I don't think they realize that we can hear them. Our food arrives and I shake my head at Shikamaru…it's not hard for people to believe that we're dating. That makes it easier on the fake boyfriend front. We argue like an old married couple on the best of days and in my worst moments, he knows how to take care of me. We look like we fit together. I guess by this point it's pretty obvious that I'm above average in the looks department and he's not so bad himself. Wait…what the hell am I thinking? It's just an observation, right? I mean…it's okay to think that Shikamaru is attractive.

"What are you staring at?" He asks, raising an eyebrow in question. I shake my head and begin eating. "Minako, that's your internal panic face."

"I do not have an internal panic face. You're crazy." I say around a bite of food. He just chuckles a little…giving me my favorite smile and eating some of his own food. Wait a minute…why is it my favorite smile?

* * *

"Minako, wake up." Shikamaru says, right by my head and I sit bolt up. "He's gone. We're going to get him." I don't speak as I get up. He exits the room in spite of me not caring about modesty. I pull on my sports bra and spandex shorts and a mesh armor shirt. I pull on the gray shorts and my black v-neck over that. I strap on all of my pouches and my swords and I'm out the door. Shikamaru is half a step behind me. I step into my boots and we're off. We pick up Choji first. Then Kiba and Akamaru. Followed by Naruto and then finally Neji Hyuuga. I don't like the guy still, but he's probably one of the best options for this mission. We're at the gate when Sakura runs up.

"Naruto…bring him back to me." She says, crying. "Please…I tried to stop him…" I make an agitated noise.

"We don't have time for this." I bark and she looks shocked. "You don't have to beg. It's happening. I meant what I told him that day. I'll die before he abandons this village or the people he has come to care about."

"You heard the lady. Let's get moving." Kiba says and I nod…I look at Sakura again and she has a look of understanding in her eyes. I don't have time to be glad that she's not upset about me yelling at her. "Shikamaru, you're taking the lead. What's the plan?"

"You'll be up front. You and Akamaru will be tracking Sasuke. Minako you'll be behind him. Use the Sharingan sparingly, but watch carefully for traps that Kiba might miss. I'll be behind you. Choji will be next. Naruto, you'll be behind him and then Neji will bring up the rear using his Byakugan to watch for attacks from behind. Minako's medical ninjutsu will be an advantage for us, but don't rely heavily on it. Her chakra will need to go into other things. Let's go." He says and we're off. I'm glad that Kiba is leading because his speed nearly matches my own. "Cool it on the murderous intent, Minako. I only brought you because you and Naruto are probably the only two people he may actually listen to."

"Glad to know my skills mean so much to you." I snap. The silence doesn't become awkward because we're all on edge. It doesn't take us long to catch up to them. They were stopped in a clearing for some reason. I don't see my brother… I identify the shinobi who will be the one left behind to 'handle' us. The others go and I don't waste time. I throw the kunai and it sticks in his throat. He lets out a startled gurgle before he falls to his knees. How he didn't notice me getting ready to throw comforts me in the success of the mission. These four shinobi probably have the same mark that Sasuke has and so they will be highly skilled. I tag the girl as the leader in my mind. "He was annoying." I note as we continue moving.

"That was kind of brutal, Minako…" Naruto says and I suppress my agitation. Naruto is idealistic…he thinks that people can change.

"It's kill or be killed now. He was standing between my brother and I and so I took care of the problem." I say and then decide to explain a little further…so that they know this isn't just about Sasuke. "I will do everything in my power to ensure that all of you make it home. Such is the duty of a medical-nin. According to Lady Tsunade's rules I am not permitted to die until you all have taken your last breaths and so I'm not giving you a chance to do that."

"So pretty much take it as one of your greatest honors to be Minako Uchiha's comrade." Shikamaru says and I feel a slight smile tugging at my lips. "Now…I think it's pretty funny that we haven't come across any traps yet, so I'm thinking they thought that Jirobo guy would be enough to handle us. They think we're dead…and so now I'm gonna be the guy to transform into him to try and get the coffin holding Sasuke." I tense at the word coffin used in the same sentence as my brother's name. Shikamaru transforms. "Minako, if something happens you're in charge."

"Nothing's going to happen, Asshole." I say and he sniffs a bit of a laugh before he takes off ahead. The green of the leaves around us blurs in my eyes. We're still moving pretty fast. "So with Shikamaru as our diversion. Plan B is ambush. It's safe to assume that they'll leave one person behind while the other two continue on with Sasuke. Obviously Shikamaru is our first line. After him, Naruto you should send in a bunch of clones but the real you should hang back. Kiba if that isn't enough you and Akamaru can go in. Choji, I think that your clan's jutsu would be good in conjunction with Kiba's as far as speed and surprise goes. Neji you'll be the next string. Try to incapacitate. I'll take a more traditional medic support role and hang back, offering assistance where I can. Naruto, hang with me until your clones are done for. Does anyone have a problem with this?" I'm met with no resistance. "Sorry if I'm kind of being an asshole, I'm really pissed off."

"I wouldn't say you're being an asshole…" Naruto says and I laugh a little in spite of the situation.

"Neji, can you see them?" I ask and he activates his Byakugan. He motions for us to stop. So he must be able to…

"They've found him out. Move!" He suggests and we're all moving. They left the one with six arms behind…and he seems to behave like a spider. His jutsu consists of using some sort of sticky webbing. Shikamaru is pinned to a tree…and now Naruto's clones are stuck in a web. Kiba and Choji make their move only to get stuck as well. This isn't looking great…if it's a webbing then I may be able to burn it. But it's too risky to try too much fire with my comrades in there like that… I feel more panic as Neji is caught and placed in a cocoon…that leaves Naruto and I. I really hope that the clones start trash talking…that might be able to distract him enough. There's that one technique I could use. If I step in that webbing though, I'm done for.

"Distract him." I say to Naruto and he grins before he springs into action. I spring into action myself. I throw several kunai and use them to jump off of…it only gives me a limited boost, but it's enough to keep myself out of the goo. The final Naruto clones throw several and that allows for me to stay in the air longer. Naruto gets thrown, but Neji somehow got out and he catches him. I throw my kunai with the ninja wire attached to them and the guy laughs. They stick into the tree behind him…he doesn't see the wire.

"You think that pathetic attempt is enough to stop me?" He asks, still laughing at me. "A pathetic girl coming to do a man's job."

"You shouldn't have said that." Neji says in a cool tone as I finish the seals. I'm falling quickly, I need to get this.

"Fire style! Dragon flame jutsu!" On the same breath I breathe the molten hot flame and it travels down the wires. Spider Man narrowly escapes before flinging a web at me. I inhale and exhale again, melting the web in midair. Neji has freed everyone from their confines.

"It appears as though I am the best suited for combatting this technique." He says and he is undoubtedly correct. I hate the idea of leaving anyone behind…but at this point I don't think we have a choice. I obviously have to continue on for the better of the full team. I could be invaluable in this fight…

"Alright. Neji, you handle this guy." Shikamaru says and I trust his judgement. He wouldn't leave Neji here alone if he didn't think it were for the best.

"Neji, if you die before I can spar you at least once…then I'll come up with a resurrection jutsu just to bring you back to kick your ass. Got it?" I ask and he regards me for a moment before he gets a sort of smirk on his face. That's as much vocal concern as he's going to get out of me.

"How sweet." Spider Man says mockingly. "Your girlfriend is worried about you." Sexist asshole.

"Come on." Shikamaru says, grabbing me by the hand and pulling me into motion before I can give him a lesson on feminism.

"Fucking prick. Just because I'm the only girl doesn't mean that you all are romantically interested in me." I mutter as we go.

"I'm still not sure if I should fear you or be attracted to you." Kiba pipes in and I snicker. That old conversation?

"Kiba, now's hardly the time to develop a crush." I say and then I begin to assess what we have left. "Shikamaru? What are you thinking?"

"The girl's obviously the leader…so that means that the blue-haired guy will be the next opponent." He says and I hum my agreement. "It'd help a lot more if we had an idea of what they could do."

"She looks slight…obviously muscular in the way that a kunoichi is, but she's not used to hand-to-hand combat. I'd peg her as a genjutsu user, but I'm not sure and it's dangerous to make any assumptions with these Fuckheads." I say thoughtfully. "The guy…there was something off about his chakra. Like there's too much for just one body, even if his reserves are insane. If we have to leave anyone to face him, I wouldn't leave just one person."

"That's what I was thinking. Kiba and Choji, you're on deck if that's the case." Shikamaru says and I nod to myself, agreeing with his judgement.

"This is bull shit." I mutter in spite of myself. "Absolute bull shit. I'm kicking the living fuck out of that stupid boot licking son of a bitch I call a brother."

"Easy." Shikamaru says and I nod once. "We've gotta pick up the pace." That's no problem for me. This isn't even half as fast as I can go. "Minako, you're done playing support. I want you on full offense."

"You didn't even have to ask." I say and then I hum. If Kiba and Choji stay back to fight the remaining male, that will leave Naruto, Shikamaru, and I to handle the girl. If things keep going as they have…she is the only thing standing between my brother and I.

* * *

"You three stand back…" I say to Naruto, Shikamaru, and Temari. I draw my tanto and my katana. I switch the katana to my left hand and stare down the man before me…the man using his own spine as a sword. You know what would be useful right now? If Gaara were here…if this guy couldn't move due to a coffin made of sand, that'd be really helpful. I wonder where he is. I advance deeper into the middle of the small meadow that we're in. It's a really nice place, I'll have to remember where it is if I make it out of here.

"Minako." Shikamaru's voice is a warning. I don't dare a glance at him. "You'd better have gotten really fucking amazing with those." I'm surprised by his coarse language…this is Shikamaru.

"Do I ever disappoint?" I ask and then I'm on Bone Guy. "When that coffin pops, restrain Sasuke." As I speak Bone Guy shoots kunai-like bones from his fingertips. They go straight through my right arm and I drop the tanto. It hurts. Bad. I flood chakra to those points to control the bleeding. I hear the sound of the lid of the coffin coming off and it distracts me. I let out a cry of pain as the sword pierces my right shoulder. I'm held in the air by that point alone. It's a pitiful noise, one that I regret…that is until Sasuke's fist shoots through Bone Guy's chest. I fall to the ground, landing on the opposite shoulder thank goodness. He's not done for yet…that's when I notice the sand. Sasuke looks down at me, horror very clear on his face. Rage carries me upwards and I throw a punch. He catches my hand, staring at me. He looks…crazy. "I fucking meant it. You'll have to kill me to go to him." I rear back and head butt him. He lets go of my fist and we're fighting. I must be a sight…the sword sticking out of my shoulder. Gaara is fighting Bone Guy now. Shikamaru and Naruto are too injured to assist me and Temari…she'll help if she thinks I need support. Or she's formulating a plan. Sasuke grabs the hilt of the bone sword and yanks it from the wound. I let out a whimper of pain, but I flood chakra to that spot. The pain is replaced by my anger. He swings the sword but I drop to a crouch. My foot shoots upwards and I kick his wrist. The bone snaps. The pain registers for him and the black mark begins to recede.

"I'm going to leave and you're going to let me." He says and I back away. I need to formulate a plan of some sort.

"Then kill me." I say and then I walk forward…I don't spring to attack. I'm not trying to trick him. I put a kunai in his hand and I hold it to my heart. "If you want to avenge the clan so bad, gaining power through pathetic means then kill me. Because my brother is already gone. I'd rather be dead than live with knowing that a pathetic excuse for a man like you shares half of my genes." My words are poison and they sink into him. He raises his hand and I close my eyes, accepting my fate….but then I'm moving backwards. I don't have control over my body. Naruto runs past me. He's pissed. I stumble and Shikamaru catches me.

"If you ever do anything like that ever again." He growls and I know that I'm shaking. This is…this is different from my dream. I saved Shikamaru. That thought brings a brief smile to my face…but

"Naruto!" I exclaim and try to jump up. What good is saving one life if another is lost!? "Let go of me!" Shikamaru isn't letting me go.

"You'll get yourself killed!" He yells, but I don't stop fighting. "Temari, do something!" I glare at the girl.

"Lay a fucking hand on me." I dare her. "Don't just stand there! Help Naruto!" She thinks for a moment longer before she springs into action. I have to start healing some of these wounds. My shoulder is the worst, so I start there. It feels odd as the muscle knits back together and the wound closes. The wounds on my arm are nothing and they close very quickly. I need to cool it on chakra use though. Unless….I reach into my pouch and pull out a soldier pill. I bite into it and the instant increase in chakra is nearly dizzying. "They're going to need us too." I turn and heal the worst of Shikamaru's injuries and give him a pill. He pauses for just a moment before he bites into it. "Gaara shouldn't be too much longer." We're running then. Sasuke is hindered by his right wrist being broken, but he's still kicking a lot of ass. I begin pooling chakra in my chest…if this is going to be anything like my dream he is going to try and use chidori. If I can jump in front of it…I can save Naruto. Or at least absorb most of the blow.

"Just let me go!" Sasuke shouts. Gaara is in on our fight now…assisting us with sand shields from a distance. There's the wind up for chidori.

"No!" I scream and I jump in front of Naruto. Shock registers in Sasuke's eyes and the lighting dissipates. He still punches me though. In the shoulder. My collarbone is fucked. A mass of sand keeps me from slamming into the ground. I gasp in pain. As I try to sit up, I see Sasuke staring at me with wide eyes. Then I see Shikamaru deck him in the face. He's out like a motherfucking light. I lay back, gasping. Temari is at my side. "Son of a fucker. Fucking hell. Fuck. Fuck!" Nothing has ever hurt this bad before. He didn't punch where I thought he would. He redirected. Fuck. "He's fucking dead when I get my hands on him." Then Kakashi-sensei is here. "You're out one student, Hatake! He's fucking dead!"

"Oh dear." The man says in an airy tone…he's anything but not serious right now. "I suppose we should get you all back to the village now." I'm about to cry. No. Stop it. I sit up with much pain and pull myself into a crouch.

"I'm ripping his dick off and feeding it to him. See who will restore the clan then!" I scream at my unconscious brother. Kenta-sensei is there then and I'm actually crying. "I'll kill him." I sob.

"I know." Sensei says as he picks me up, very careful of my injury. "It's alright." He consoles me.

"He was going to kill me…" My voice is a whisper now. The realization sinks in. Yeah he pulled the chidori, but before that…he was going to stab me. If not for Shikamaru and Naruto, I'd be dead.

* * *

When I wake up…I am very warm. There's a head resting on my shoulder and an arm wrapped around me. I open my eyes and see a spiky ponytail.

"The past twenty-four hours he's spent between here and Choji's room." Shikaku says, successfully startling me. "I think you scared him quite a bit."

"To be fair, it'd be just a little weird if he cuddled Choji like this." I say and the man exhales in a sort of laugh. "Do you know…"

"What happened after you went unconscious? Everyone returned to the village…Sasuke is in here as well. Obviously he's being watched by Anbu. It'll be a while before he's allowed to go anywhere without supervision. As a matter of fact, you're kind of stuck too. I guess Orochimaru has expressed more interest in you since your love for your brother was stronger than his curse mark. Though…I seem to remember Kakashi recounting a threat made on your brother…"

"I meant every word that I said." I say and he chuckles again. "He was going to kill me, Shikaku. If not for Shikamaru, I'd probably be dead right now."

"He mentioned that." He says and then he stands up from the chair. "Your injuries are all healed…you just have extensive chakra exhaustion. Rest…I'll let someone know you're awake and maybe they might be able to rustle up something decent for you to eat." I make a face.

"Not likely. But I appreciate the effort." I say and he's gone. Shikamaru's eyebrows furrow together, but he doesn't wake. I carefully shift so that my arm is around him…I'm the one doing the comforting now.

"You curse too much." Shikamaru mutters into my shoulder. "And you're too reckless. And I hate your guts."

"You love my guts." I say and he exhales in a laugh similar to his father's. "I'm alive, aren't I? So that means that Sasuke is here. So that means it was mission success. I'm not entirely sure, but your dad didn't mention any loss of life."

"No…everyone made it back. Worse for wear…but…" He's doubting himself. He hasn't even looked at my face yet. "Sorry for turning you into a pillow."

"It's okay. It'd be a little weird if you were to cuddle Choji like this." I say and his laugh is a little bigger this time. "Wanna talk about it?"

"I don't know what there is to say…You turned my brain into applesauce again." He says and I smile. "It was hard…seeing you laying there on the ground…broken. Why did it hurt so bad?"

"If I remember correctly there were choice words that most definitely did not sound broken to me…and I had been preparing to absorb the blow in my chest. He redirected last minute…Fucked my collarbone…and the rest is history." I explain and he hums. "I recommend never breaking your collarbone."

"I'll keep that in mind." He says, still not moving. "I hope you don't mind, I'm kind of too tired to move."

"Nah, hospitals are always ridiculously cold and you're really warm. So it's okay." I say and he smiles a little. "You could've made yourself a little more comfortable though."

"I didn't want to wake you up before you were ready and so…I just kind of…I don't know." He says, his face turning faintly pink. "It felt natural."

"So you are in love with me." I say gravely. "This could be a problem…since you're not overly fond of my guts."

"It can be platonic." He says and something pangs in my chest. What…is that? Disappointment? "And your guts are fine, I guess….as long as they're on the inside."

"You hear that guts? Stay on the inside. You make Shikamaru uncomfortable." I say and he chuckles. Why am I disappointed? Wasn't this platonic before? Why do I feel so weird? Ah fuck.


	7. The Truth

**This chapter is kind of filler-y. I felt like I needed some extra fluff after the last couple of chapters and so now we're going to focus on building up skills and relationships! Yay! Next order of business, I want to warn you guys that there's a bit that could be trigger-y. There's some inappropriate touching from a missing-nin. It's not graphic at all, basically just a mention before Minako says hell no and does her thing. If you think it'll make you uncomfortable though, I put a bolded warning and I also marked when I thought it would be safe! Just trying to take care of my readers because I love you guys so much! Anyway, enjoy the chapter and I hope you enjoy some of the Minamaru fluff.**

"You'll have to forgive me, I'm in a really bad mood today." I say to Kankuro who is standing across from me. Apparently it is the friendly thing to do to spar people who you're supposed to be allies with after they attacked your home. I mean…really shouldn't Shikamaru and Temari be planning the Chunin Exams?

"The way Shikamaru tells it, that's the only way to fight you." He says with a cocky smirk. We've limited ourselves to only taijutsu. "I'm gonna feel bad beating up a little girl."

"Don't, I'm sure it'll be just fine." I say with a predatory smile. He gulps involuntarily. I see Shikamaru shake his head

"Begin." He says, shoving his hands into his pockets. Kankuro makes the first move and I dive between his legs to confuse him. I spring up and land three hits before he even gets turned around. He looks at me, eyes wide.

"What? I'm just a little girl." I say, enjoying this way too much. "I'm sure you know this, but I often have to remind Shikamaru not to underestimate me. He says I'm a concentrated form of evil. The kind that gets into your mind and sticks there…It's almost guaranteed that a month from now you'll wake up in a cold sweat remembering just how this fight went."

"She's got him." Shikamaru says, and I see him fold his arms across his chest. Temari is watching us intently. "Especially if they weren't restricted to taijutsu right now."

"I don't see it." Temari says and I still have some of my hard feelings from the chunin exams. I attack Kankuro viciously. As I dance away from a returning blow, my hair smacks him in the face. I laugh and duck as he throws a punch. He dupes me out though and lands a pretty solid blow in my stomach. It causes me to stumble, but I regain myself and fall into a backflip. My foot catches him in the chin. This has become somewhat of a signature move for me.

"That was a good one." I say honestly as I spring back at him. "You're surprisingly quick."

"Don't underestimate you're opponent." He says, smirking at me as he deflects my blows. "I thought the Uchiha were supposed to be like psychic or something." He lands a blow in my face and I turn my cheek, I activate my Sharingan before I look back at him. I'll admit…the slight look of shock in his eyes is satisfying. We start exchanging blows again.

"Left hook, uppercut, backflip." I recite his movements moments before he actually does them and I mimic. He reaches towards his leg holster. "Ah ah, we're restricted to taijutsu only. No weapons."

"Habit." He says and I smile before I'm back on him. Since I can essentially predict his movements now, I'm much faster. "I've gotta say, I'm impressed."

"Impressed enough to make this easier on both of us?" I ask and he smirks. "Well, don't say I didn't try to save your ego." I flit around behind him, taking his arm and twisting it. He falls down to one knee and I place my foot in the center of his back. I could rip his arm off.

"Winner, Minako." Shikamaru says and I let go. "What have I said about using the psychological stuff on people you don't know very well?"

"If Sasuke can't tell me what to do, you certainly can't." I say, putting my hands on my hips. "And besides, Kankuro can handle it. Can't you?"

"Sure, but just so you know if we were using our jutsu I would have won." He says and I smile condescendingly and pat him on the shoulder.

"I wouldn't be so sure, Kankuro." Temari says as she too walks over. "I heard that she took on an S-rank criminal by herself."

"Yup, the psychotic older brother who killed off almost the whole clan." I say, rocking back on my heels.

"You've had a busy past few months, haven't you?" Kankuro asks and I shrug. "Last time I saw you, you were kicking the living shit out of your twin. Well, you'd just done it."

"That's why I'm in a bad mood." I say with a chuckle. "That and I'm on village arrest since some asshole apparently wants my body…well, Sasuke and I's collective body."

"You're not on village arrest…you're working for the Academy." Shikamaru says and I regard him dryly.

"No, you had your dad put me where you could keep a close eye on me." I say and he gets that defensive look like he normally does when we bicker. "What good is being a chunin if I can't go off and be a chunin?"

"Because you can share your knowledge with the youths of our village…they really look up to you…well..." He starts and I glare at him.

"You gonna finish your thought? I could go for another spar." I say, cracking my knuckles.

"Being small isn't a bad thing." Temari says, seeming amused. "There are probably a lot of things that you can do that I wouldn't be able to."

"That's true. It's like yelling for a tall person when something is too high for you to reach." I say and Shikamaru gets that look on his face. "You must have a death wish or something."

"Don't be so violent, I'm only joking." He says and I turn my head away, folding my arms across my chest. "You still not speaking to Sasuke?"

"I haven't uttered a single syllable." I say and he shakes his head. "You have no idea how annoying he is. He laid on the floor in my room all night just saying my name over and over again in obnoxious voices. I'm ready to kill him, I swear." It's been a month since the incident.

"For some reason, I can't see him doing that." Kankuro says and I shake my head sadly. He doesn't even know.

"Before I stopped speaking to him, we used to have debates on shuriken throwing on the moon. People don't realize just how weird he is because he's an asshole eighty-six percent of the time. That and I'm good at making people embrace their weird side. Just ask Shikamaru. I stayed at his house for two weeks and by the time I went home, it was a normal morning routine of fucking with him." I say and then I snicker.

"I'm still convinced they like you better than they like me." He says dryly and I pat him on the shoulder.

"That's okay." I say and then I see Rock Lee and I jump behind him, thinking small….like a bug. I am unnoticeable.

"It is my rival! Shikamaru Nara!" Lee exclaims as he comes over. I'm really glad to see that he's up and his surgery went well and everything…but. "Minako Uchiha? What are you doing?"

"Ah...He didn't have any rations and you know how much I like making sure that the people I care about are well fed." I say with a closed eye smile as I slide a scroll into his back pouch. "Emergency preparedness and such."

"I see! Your preparedness is very youthful! But I am not here to see you, unfortunately. I am here to challenge Shikamaru for your affections!" He proclaims and I repress my sigh.

"Not on your life, buddy." Shikamaru says, hands going into his pockets. "Minako and I have work to do."

"It will only take one moment for me to defeat you!" He falls into a stance, ready to kick butt.

"Ah Lee…actually, would you mind running and picking up a prescription for me? I can't get away right now and my ribs are really sore." I say, a hand going to hold my side. "I would have Sasuke do it, but I'm not speaking to him right now."

"Say no more! I will be right back!" And like that he is gone in a flash. I let out a sigh of relief.

"So…if I can ask…" Kankuro starts, clearly trying not to laugh. "What the hell was that?"

"A mess that I've yet to figure out how to clean up aside from getting married and skipping town." I say with a sigh. "The day of the first part of the chunin exams he was hassling my brother and so I had to be scrappy and I guess he fell in love with me. So he asked me out afterwards and I said that I was seeing someone else. He assumed it was Shikamaru because he's the only other guy outside of my team and my brother who I spend a lot of time with. And so now he and Shikamaru are rivals for my affections." I throw an arm around his shoulders. "He should be honored…someone thinking he's worthy of dating the likes of me. A wild spirit that can't be pinned down by social constructs and whatnot."

"Yeah, but you forgot to mention how I shouldered the burden of the fan club as well. Do you have any idea how many people want to fight me?" Shikamaru asks and I stare at him, wide-eyed. "You really didn't know?"

"I'm not even that pretty! Why are they all so crazy!?" I exclaim, a little frustrated. "I'd understand if I legs that went on for miles, but honestly." I shake my head. "I'm going to go lay in a hole and die."

"You don't have your brother's permission to die." He says and I flip him off. He chuckles.

"I'm going to head out. I've got a thing to do at a place." I say with a wave and then I do the body flicker technique. I head for the clearing that Shikamaru takes me to sometimes…or as I like to call it…the place where he plans on murdering me someday. As I arrive…something immediately feels off. I draw my tanto. "Who's there?" I ask to the air…and it's quiet for a moment but then a crow flies out and lands in front of me. "You know what? Fine. I'll bite." It caws again before it takes off flying. I follow it…the crow leads me out of the village…not too far away, but far enough that the patrol won't happen upon me by random. It leads me to a small clearing…not nearly as pretty as Shikamaru's, but it's peaceful. "What do you want, Itachi?"

"It is time for me to explain to you why I did it." He says and I do my best to keep my expression uninterested. "I deeply regret hurting you so badly, but if I hadn't done something then you would have ended up hurting yourself even more."

"I don't care for your apology. Tell me what you brought me here to say so that I may return to my village where I am safe from Orochimaru." I say in my no nonsense tone.

"Minako, I am going to tell you why I destroyed our clan." He says and I keep my posture rigid. He gathers that I'm not going to say anything. "As you know, the Uchiha clan was one of the main families of Konoha at its creation. That's why we were the military police force…because we held some sort of control. Father thought that we deserved more…that the Uchiha clan was being disrespected and so he and many of the other shinobi in our family began to plan a coup d'état. Seeing as though I was a member of the Anbu Black Ops, Father had me spying for the clan. If they had gone through with the coup, then many innocent lives would have been lost and the village would have been thrown into civil war. So I began to spy for the village." I don't relax a single muscle. "When Father and the others were going to carry through with their plans, I was ordered to kill them all."

"Why not just kill those involved in the plans? Did Mother really have to die, Itachi?" I ask, trying to stay calm. "Auntie and Uncle…everyone? And why did you let Sasuke and I live?"

"You two were the hope for the Uchiha clan…The third Hokage saw much potential in the both of you, as did I. I know that you loved Father…but he wanted you to be weak. He wanted to use you as a pawn." He says and the tears fill my eyes before I can stop them.

"You destroyed Sasuke." I say with a shaky voice. "You destroyed him and I had to put him back together…and then you had to come back. Why couldn't you have just stayed away?"

"Because…I need the Akatsuki to trust me. You actually helped with that." He says and I feel my eyebrows furrow together. "Big Brother is still trying to make the world a safer place for you."

"Stop referring to yourself in the third person, I'm thirteen years old." I say, looking away from him. "So you're a spy?" I don't need him to answer. "Why do you want Sasuke to kill you?"

"Because…I'm the scum who broke every single promise I ever made to the both of you." He says and I look back at him.

"I'm not going to let him do it. I hope that you know that." I say and he regards me with a look that I can't place. "Regardless of how hard you tried to break us completely, you're still our brother. I can't let him kill you. Release yourself from your guilt some other way. Don't put it on another man's shoulders."

"You've always been wise beyond your years, haven't you?" He asks, a fond smile playing at his lips. "There's something else about you…You seem to know things that you shouldn't…"

"Have I ever done what I should do?" I ask, putting finger quotes around the word 'should'.

"While that may be…there has always been something more aware about you." He says, almost seeming amused…almost.

"Well…" I start and then I look around. I don't sense anyone and that does mean a lot because I have pushed myself even further in sensing chakras.

"We are alone here." He says and I purse my lips. "And I give you my word that I will not repeat anything you say."

"You also gave your word that you would always be there to support me, no matter what." I fire back and he looks away. "I suppose that in a way you have been…But…it all really kind of started before I took the chunin exams."

"What do you mean 'really kind of'?" He asks and I purse my lips as I put my tanto away.

"I remember when I first met you." I say and he nods, silently telling me to continue. "As crazy as it sounds I remember my first breaths of life…and not necessarily the last breaths of my old one. Do you believe in reincarnation?"

"I suppose I've never really formed opinions on what happens to someone after they die. It is a possibility…since I have no reason to question your sanity." He says and I look down at my hands. "Go on."

"I…I knew that someone was going to kill everyone. I didn't know who it was and I trained really hard because I didn't know when it would happen, but I knew it was going to. Then…I knew that Sasuke was going to try and leave the village. I had a dream where I saw Orochimaru give him the curse mark and then I saw a version of my fight with him. Then Mother was there and she told me that…there were people that I was meant to save. Shikamaru was one of them and I have already accomplished that. I didn't put a whole lot of merit into the dream until the Forest of Death…when Sasuke attacked me…I'm scared, Itachi."

"Don't be afraid." He says and I look at him. "I've always known that you were special and so I've always tried to do what I can to ensure your safety. I didn't think that you would try to kill me on sight, so I've always sort of tagged along on your missions."

"I don't need your help." I say with an agitated sigh. "If Lady Tsunade thinks that I am a capable kunoichi, then I'd say I'm fine enough with my older brother following me around." I shake my head. "But anyway…I wrote down what I remember as soon as I learned how to write again. I don't remember much now."

"And so you've shouldered this burden on top of the one I gave to you for all of these years…" He says and then he hums. "I think that you have been given a gift…and I think that you are using it in the best way that you can. Since you know now, I will do my best to support you. You know that like Shisui, I have never been one to favor violence and so if you can forge a new path…"

"Did you kill him?" I ask softly and after a moment he shakes his head. "Then what happened? Because he was like…"

"I know." He says and then he walks a little closer to me. "One of his eyes was taken from him…and so to protect the other…he gave it to me and then he committed suicide. So that was not a lie. Your eyes are strong as well…and so you need to do everything you can to protect them." I give him a look.

"Do you really think I'm so stupid as to not understand that?" I ask and he smiles. "So have you given up on that stupid desire to have Sasuke kill you?"

"I don't think that it is that simple…The Uchiha has a curse of hatred upon them…brother hating brother." He says and I roll my eyes.

"That I remember. So I have a new proposal…let me be the link the breaks the curse. Let my love for you both fill your hearts and then we can all be happy as a family. Well…as happy as we can be." I say and he kisses my forehead like he used to.

"Our happy Minako…" He says before he hugs me. I feel awkward at first…because he destroyed everything I knew…he threw me into a frenzy where I didn't know myself at all anymore. "I will do my best to throw Orochimaru off of the two of you. In that time, you must prepare yourself to tell Sasuke what I told you. Maybe then, the curse can be broken." I wrap my arms around him. "Also…these may just be the remnants of my feelings as an older brother…but didn't I tell you about the Nara boy?"

"Oh my God." I say, looking to the sky as I take a step back. "He and I are just friends. He let me stay with him after you put Sasuke in the hospital. So you should be thankful…he grounds me…and keeps me from doing stupid things. Except following you out here…he probably doesn't even realize I'm gone."

"I wouldn't be so sure about that." He says and then he looks over my shoulder. "He's coming right now." I hug him one more time. "Keep up with your training…you will need it." Then he's gone. Moments later, Shikamaru is there.

"Have I turned your brain into applesauce again?" I ask, turning around to look at him. His angry expression immediately softens. Oh yeah, I'm crying.

"Were you just talking to someone?" He asks and I shake my head. "Then why are you crying?"

"Well I've had a bad month and a half…I think that it's okay if I cry just a little." I say, wiping away the tears. "Weren't you supposed to stay with Temari and Kankuro?"

"I walked them to the gates and then when I realized that you were AWOL, I decided to find you myself before Anbu went looking for you." He says, folding his arms across his chest. "Let's get back."

"Alright." I say, fighting the urge to look over my shoulder. I know that he's still there…watching us.

"I think that you should talk to Sasuke again…" He starts and I regard him dryly as I walk over to him. "You're obviously miserable."

"I'm miserable because if I hadn't stopped him, I would have been all alone…or dead. I think I would have actually gone crazy if…" I start, my voice breaking a little. "The only reason I haven't is because I worry about taking care of him. I promised…"

"And you've kept that promise. If he's too stupid to realize what you do for him, what you sacrifice for him…" He says and I smirk at him.

"People are going to think that you're in love with me if you keep that up." I say and then I start running.

* * *

"Jun…put me down here, please." I say and my team mate ignores my request. "Junichi, I swear on all that is holy…"

"You're exhausted. You can't walk." He says and I huff. "You're lucky I'm even allowing you to come to this training session."

"You….allow me?" I ask and then I burst into laughter. "You do realize that Sasuke is a different kind of asshole than I am, right? He's going to be a pain in the ass to have on your squad."

"Eh, you'll give us pointers." Iza says, waving a hand in dismissal. "And after the incident, Sasuke has been doing everything to please you."

"I'll have to specify parameters…'don't be a dick' has lost its pizazz." I say and he snickers. We arrive at the training field and I see Team Ten. Sasuke is also already here with Sakura. "Sorry we're late, Junichi wouldn't let me walk so I tried to strangle him with my legs."

"I wish she were just trying to be funny." My teammate says and I laugh, whole-heartedly. He deposits me on the bench.

"If you were too tired you could have stayed home." Sasuke says, concern very clear on his tone.

"But then I couldn't watch the training session which will be like trying to herd cats if I stayed home." I say and Sasuke shudders…probably at memories of trying to capture Tora. "Anyway, I've got to facilitate this training because you don't know jack shit about team work anymore. Just because I'm tired doesn't mean I can't correct your behavior. Got that, Uchiha?"

"And in that moment, she sounded exactly like Lady Tsunade." Sakura says and then she, Ino, and I all laugh. "So your training was pretty brutal today?"

"Oh honey….if I had training today I would not be awake right now. This is left over from yesterday morning. I can't wait until your real strength training starts."

"Sounds so…ominous." Izanagi says and then he shakes his head. "Anyway, Junichi is the new Minako and Sasuke is the new Junichi. This should be fun."

"Please, Junichi doesn't have the legs to pull off this dress." I say and that gets my team laughing. "Maybe the butt…"

"Yeah right. My butt has always looked ten times better than yours." He says and I feel my eye twitch. "You're pretty, Mina, but face it…I'm the hot one in Team Kenta."

"I'll pretend you didn't say that." I say with a flip of my hair. "You guys are lucky. After some testing I have established that Sasuke is in fact slower than me."

"Not by much." My brother mutters and I shoot him a look. "All I'm saying is that you had an easier path."

"Sounds like sore loser talk to me." I say, crossing my legs and raising my eyebrows. "You've got more muscle mass which makes you heavier. I'm smaller and so there is less resistance. Anyway, you can go ahead and get started. Establish what everyone can do and then make some moves up based off of that. I suggest trust building exercises."

"You'd be a lazy sensei." Izanagi says and I stand up. He flinches and I laugh as I walk over and hug him.

"I'm not your sensei. I just know that my brother is an insufferable asshole from time to time." I say and he pats the top of my head.

"Alright, go sit down. Us men have got work to do." Junichi says and I give him a look. "What? We've got to train Sasuke how to speak Team Kenta."

"Okay. I'll be over here observing." I say and then I'm sitting again. They're talking now. I can hear them, but it's just basic stuff. Talking about what sort of techniques they know. Weaknesses they're aware of. How to combat these weaknesses. All things that I know backwards and forwards.

"How do you think they'll do?" Kenta-sensei asks as he stands behind the bench. I purse my lips, watching them together. Sasuke is smiling a little and the boys are laughing.

"They'll be okay. My worst fear is that Junichi would be harsh considering the state in which they found me when they returned from their mission. But they're laughing and Sasuke is as close to laughing as he gets with anyone outside of me. The toughest part will be them getting used to Sasuke not planning things out." I say thoughtfully.

"Like you're that big of a planner." Sensei says, nudging me with his elbow. "I think I agree with you, though. They'll be okay. I see them all passing."

"I hope so." I say with a smile. "Well, I don't need to tell you how to do your job." He smirks at me before he heads over. Shikamaru sighs as he sits beside me. "How are Sakura and Ino getting along so far?"

"So far it's not been too terrible. Hopefully Asuma-sensei can keep some peace in there." He says and I snicker.

"Our babies are growing up." I say, wiping away fake tears. "Next thing you know they'll all be getting married and having children. I'm not ready to be a grandma yet."

"So we're married with kids now?" He asks, smirking. "I figured you'd at least let me know when we got married. You didn't even let me know when we started dating."

"Eh." I say with a shrug. "I suppose we could file for divorce if you'd like." He shakes his head. "You're right, too troublesome."

"You're somethin' else, you know that?" He asks and I smirk. "Temari informed me that Kankuro's in love with you."

"He is not." I say with a roll of my eyes. "How can you possibly be in love with somebody that you don't know? He might have a crush on me…but that'll pass quickly. I'm an asshole. Sasuke counts on it."

"He may be able to count on it less and less the older you get." He says and I raise an eyebrow.

"Oh yeah. You project that I'm going to be super hot." I say with somewhat of a smirk. "Oh! Imagine if I actually put effort into my appearance. I'd be a destructive force of nature."

"Probably." He agrees and I shake my head. "Looks like Sasuke pissed Junichi off." I sigh.

"This is why I hate teenage boys. They are far too aggressive to think rationally." I say and he raises his eyebrow. "It's so troublesome dealing with the boys sometimes. They get so fighty."

"You're making quite the effort to make fun of me today." He notes and I raise my eyebrow. "That's the second time in ten minutes you've said troublesome."

"I'm not making fun of you." I say, rolling my eyes. "I've just spending too much time with you. You essentially lived in that hospital room with me when I was recovering from Sasuke's escape attempt. Then you've been annoyingly watchful since we got back."

"Only because you're annoyingly selfless." He says and I chuckle. "You're going to give me gray hair."

"It'd be far less troublesome if you didn't care about me, wouldn't it?" I say and he looks at me…very seriously.

"I've told you. You're not nearly as troublesome as most girls. So like the annoying deer puns, I can look past some things. Just try not to go to the hospital so often." He says and then he's watching the training.

"Sorry…" I say softly and he lets out a breath. My stomach growls loudly then. "Hey…since we're not required to be here, you wanna grab something to eat?"

"Sure." He says and I make eye contact with Kenta-sensei who nods. I haul myself up off of the bench, sounding like popcorn popping as I go. "Jeez…"

"Shut up and come on." I say, stomping away from the bench. I'm tired of people making comments.

"What's got you so grumpy…other than the tired thing?" He asks and I glance at him. Should I tell him about Itachi?

"Why don't we have lunch at my house? I went grocery shopping this morning." I say and he looks a little surprised. I try to convey meaning with my eyes.

"Alright." He says with a nod. "Let's go." I leap onto the nearest roof and lead the way to my apartment. We don't speak…he's concerned. Once we're inside I head to my room and disarm.

"I'll be out in a second." I say as I close the door. I change into my comfortable clothes before I head out and to the kitchen. He's already disarmed.

"Is there anything I can help with?" He asks, following me into the kitchen. I hum as I get the stuff out that I'm going to need. I'm just going to be making a stir fry.

"Hmm…you could start the rice." I say and he nods before he goes about doing that. "Then once you're done with that, I always make a lot because it's good for leftovers. So you could help with chopping the vegetables." I get out a second chopping board and knife. He quietly sets about his tasks. I smile when he joins me for chopping.

"Why were you out of the village yesterday?" He asks and I purse my lips. He glances at me, mouth open to say something else but then he realizes that I'm thinking. Shikamaru would never betray me…so I can tell him…can't I?

"Can I trust you?" I ask, looking up at him. "Like…really trust you. This is something that could get us in trouble, so I need to know that I can trust you not to say anything to your dad, no matter how bad you might think it is." We're about half done with the vegetables now…he's thinking.

"Minako, you can trust me with anything." He says and by the seriousness of his tone I know that he is being honest.

"I was talking to Itachi." I say and his hand slips, causing him to slice the hell out of his thumb. With quick reflexes, I grab the dish towel and wrap it around the wound before blood can get all over the place. I lead him to the sink.

"Are you insane?" He asks, keeping his voice down, but I can tell that he's upset. He's really upset. I turn the water on and make sure it's a good temperature before I remove the towel and run the wound under it. It's not really too bad. "Minako."

"He told me why he did it." I say as I get out the first aid kit we keep under the sink. I shut off the water and dry his hand before I apply an antiseptic and bandage him up. He knows better than to argue with me on stuff like this. I grab the knife and wash it before I go over and finish chopping. "It was…a mission. Father was planning a coup and so Itachi was ordered to take everyone out." I add the vegetables in and finish with making everything. Shikamaru is leaning against the cabinet. "He wants Sasuke to kill him…but I'm not going to let that happen. I've decided. I'm going to be the link that ends the curse of hatred. That's why I was born."

"Minako…that's a really complicated situation." He says and I look at him before I fill two plates and carry them to the table. "Itachi is a criminal."

"Itachi is a spy." I say, getting the rest of the things for dinner. "It is a very complicated situation, but trust that I know that it really is my purpose to put an end to that curse." He sighs, looking up. He must be having a conversation with the creator like I always do. I shake my head, bringing the tea things to the table. "I don't feel better knowing that the village ordered him to do it, but knowing after all of these years wondering if he just went insane. All things considered, it was a sound enough reason….He stopped the village from falling into civil war. Back then the last thing we needed was a war. Father was power hungry…that's why he wanted to use me to get more people on his side. You knew all of that already."

"Yeah…that doesn't mean I like it any better." He says and then he sighs. "Just promise me you'll be careful."

"Shikamaru, I'm always careful." I say and his serious gaze softens. "And…I've been keeping my promise. I've been trying to depend on you more…It's just…"

"You're a control freak." He says and I give him a look. "Food tastes great, by the way." Smooth change of subject.

"Yeah, you'd better appreciate it." I say, glowering at him. I sigh then. "I think I'm with you on the idea of wishing for an absolutely unextraordinary life. I wish that I could run from it now."

"Too late for that. We're both already part of something." He says and I raise an eyebrow. "It doesn't happen that often…people becoming chunin outside of the exams. Not anymore, anyway. The way I see it…it's downhill from here. It's going to be so troublesome."

"Probably." I say with a bit of a laugh. "You never had a chance, Mr. Genius. Well…maybe you did. I certainly had a chance." Had my family stayed alive I probably would have given up at some point. I was resilient before, but Itachi only solidified that.

"No use in fighting it now…it'd only make it worse." He says and I hum my agreement. "But you're cut out for stuff like this."

"Am I?" I ask and then I finish eating. "It must be my ability to shut down emotions and feel them only internally."

"Something." He agrees with a nod, then he finishes. "I'll help clean up." I smirk as I stand up and grab his plate. He follows me to the kitchen. "What's that look?"

"Oh nothing…it's just...your mother has to pull teeth to get you to do anything. You actually offer to help me." I say and he makes an agitated noise.

"Because you don't nag me to do it…and I am a guest after all." He says and I laugh at that idea as I put the leftovers into a container that goes into the fridge.

"Alright. I'll wash and you can dry." I say and then we get started. We work in silence. "I think that Itachi told me because of Orochimaru. He's afraid…he didn't outright say it, but I could tell. He wanted me to know that someone outside of the village was working on the problem…even if only a little bit. I mean…there's also the obvious 'I don't want my little sister to think that I don't love her' sort of thing…but Orochimaru is a bigger problem."

"Makes sense." He agrees with a nod. "I still don't like the idea, but I guess all I can do is support you."

"Thank you." I say with a smile. "And in return, I will do my best to be not as troublesome."

"Good, because I need someone to come to Suna with me in a couple of weeks." He says and I raise an eyebrow.

"Why don't you ask Choji? You know that I'm on village arrest." I say and he shakes his head.

"It's gotta be a chunin and everyone else is busy. I imagine if Lady Tsunade knows about Itachi's desire to protect you, you'll be good to go on this mission with me." He says and I think about it.

"Alright. If she thinks it's okay, then I'd love to go. This village has been stifling." I say dramatically and he shakes his head. We finish and get them all put away. "So am I the only other chunin you know?"

"You're the only one I can stand to travel with for that long." He says and I laugh. "I'm still trying to figure out how that's possible."

"Because as much as I'm an asshole, I'm also loveable." I say and he offers the fair enough look. "Wanna go get ice cream now?"

"Sure." He agrees and we re-arm ourselves before we head out. I'm down my katana and tanto because I'm with him. "We could probably stop by and check on our teams…see if they've killed each other yet."

"And we can make fun of them for not having ice cream! I love the way you think." I say deviously and he shakes his head at me. "I love the way you tolerate me."

"I'd say I more than tolerate, but thanks." He says and we head into the shop. It's my favorite…mostly out of convenience with how close it is to my apartment building. "One vanilla and one strawberry please."

"Coming right up!" The girl says as she scoops the two cones. She hands them over and he ignores my glare as he pays. We head back out and head towards the training fields. As we suspected, they're still at it.

"Look at you two." Ino pants, hunched over with her hands on her knees. "All buddy, buddy. Where were you this whole time?"

"Oh you know…off doing chunin things. You'll understand someday." I say with a wink and she grins at me. "How's training?"

"Asuma-sensei is really being a hard ass…" She says with a sigh. "But I think it's going to be worth it."

"That's the spirit! I didn't get to where I am by not getting sweaty and gross!" I say and she makes a face. "Just think of that bath you're going to take when you get home. That's usually what gets me through my training."

"I thought it was the burning desire to punch Kenta-sensei in the face." Izanagi says as he picks up his canteen.

"Well that too I guess…but really it's the bath." I say and then I sigh. "That sounds so nice, I may ditch you losers and go do that now."

"I know! On our next day off, we can all go to the hot springs together." Ino says, meaning she, Sakura, and I.

"If you think you can behave yourself." I say with a wink and she rolls her eyes. "I am not opposed to this idea." I could definitely use a chance to relax…even if it seems impossible for me.

* * *

"You'll have to do better than that, Shikamaru." I sing as I swing from the branch that I just leapt to. "I'm in such a good mood now! I never knew how much I loved traveling!"

"Slow down, we're not in a hurry." He says dryly, but he speeds up none the less. "You're going to wear me out."

"Don't I always?" I ask with a laugh. "And we are in a hurry. It's rude to keep people waiting. Kankuro and Temari have better things to do than wait for us!"

"You're just excited to see Kankuro." He teases and I glare over my shoulder at him. He knows very well I'm not interested.

"You know what I'm excited about? Actually seeing new faces! Even if I'm just here to back you up, I'm so happy to actually be doing my job again." I say and then I sigh. "I hope that Sasuke is doing alright…"

"He's fine." He says, sounding amused. "You're turning into a mother hen yourself." I flip him off. "Anyway, the rest area should be up ahead."

"Right. You pick them up and I'll scout the area ahead to make sure there aren't any bandits." I say and he shakes his head.

"I'll humor you…but only because you're cute when you're this excited about work." He says and I smile sweetly at him. "Be careful."

"Always am." I say as I speed off ahead. I don't make it too far when a shinobi lands in the middle of a clearing. I pull my chakra in and conceal myself in the foliage.

"Come on out." He says, sounding friendly enough. I know better than to trust that though. "I'm not gonna hurt ya."

"I have no issues with you." I say as I come out. "So if you don't have any issues, I'll be on my way."

"Oh…there is an issue." He says and then he's lunging at me. He's got a katana in hand now. I block his strike with my own. "I'm alone with a pretty little thing like you and we're not close enough." That turns my stomach. He knocks my katana away. I block his next strike with a kunai. I quickly grab his wrist and squeeze. The sword falls form his hand as I force it to open. He slams me into the tree and elbows me in the head three times before I duck. I'm a little fuzzy. "You're not getting out of here, bitch." He says and I smirk as I wipe the blood away from the corner of my mouth.

 **(It begins about here, like I said it's not too graphic but here's a fair warning!)**

"Funny, I was just thinking the same thing." I say and then I draw my tanto. He draws another sword and our blades clash and he smirks before he head butts me. I stagger back two steps and hiss in pain as he slices my side.

"Come on, I want you to scream." He says and that turns my stomach. "I want you to beg me to stop hurting you."

"Too bad." I say and I'm back on him with savage strikes. Our blades clash again and my feet can't find purchase. He pushes until my back is against a tree. I can't move.

"Oh the things I'm going to do before I kill you." He says with a twisted grin. He snakes his hand up my shirt and grabs me. No. I slam my head into his and he just cackles like a mad man. Forehead protector is crossed out. Missing-nin from Iwagakure.

"Shikamaru!" I scream and the man laughs, sounding even more cruel. "You're not going to touch me anymore!"

"Is that so?" He asks with a smirk. "You're one of those kunoichi who got by because she was pretty…we had girls like you in my village. You're nothing."

"That's where you're wrong. I am an Uchiha." I say as I manage to get a kunai out. I stab him in the kidney. He jumps back, his face concerned at this point.

"You're gonna regret the day you were born." He says and then he's running off. I fall to my knees, kunai in hand. I need to calm down. Calm down Minako…but I can still feel his hands on me.

 **(I'd say about here it's safe to continue!)**

"Kankuro! Follow him!" Temari's voice sounds from behind me and then I feel an arm around my shoulders. "Minako, what happened?"

"He tried to…he tried to…" I can't form the words. She takes a good look at me and her eyes burn with anger. "Where's Shikamaru?"

"He's coming, just try to calm down." She says in a soothing voice. "What were you able to find out about him?"

"Missing-nin. Iwagakure. He didn't give a name, didn't use any jutsu that I was aware of. Stronger than an average shinobi." I say and she nods. "Damn it." My knuckles turn white around my kunai.

"What's going on?" Shikamaru asks and I can't get myself to move. He crouches in front of me. "Minako?"

"A missing-nin from Iwagakure attacked her." Temari responds for me. I'm still trying to pull it together. This has never even come close to happening before. Opponents generally ignore…

"Minako." Shikamaru says and I look into his eyes. "Let go of the kunai." I want to laugh because I can't actually. He gently grabs my wrist and presses down on the pressure point until my fingers relax and the blade falls from my hand. "What happened?"

"They talked about this sort of thing in the academy…well kunoichi classes. Ah…" I shake my head. I'm not making much sense. "Let's just say he tried to attack me and I carved his…" I look over and…actually see a kidney. I burst out laughing. "I really fucking carved out his kidney." Shikamaru finally puts it together in his mind and I don't think I've ever seen him look so angry. Kankuro returns then.

"He got away, but he was bleeding pretty heavily. Unless he's got friends out there, I don't give him much time." He says and then he looks at me. "Are you alright?"

"Yeah, I literally carved his kidney out." I say, wiping my kunai on the grass before returning it to my pouch. "I feel better, let's go." I push myself into a standing position. I don't actually feel better.

"It's going to storm, so we were going to stop at the inn in the next town over for the night." Kankuro says and I nod. "If we're ready…" We start moving and we make it to the next town in record time.

"Shikamaru…can I talk to you for a second?" I ask and he nods. We walk off a little ways. "I know it's weird and stuff, but I'd much rather share a room with you. I'd feel safer…"

"Sure." He agrees immediately. "No problem…and…if you need to talk-" I shake my head. "Alright. We'll go check in." We return to Temari and Kankuro and the four of us enter the inn. "We'd like two rooms."

"You're not the rowdy shinobi type, are you? I don't want any trouble here. We've had too much of that lately." The elderly man says and I smile.

"Do we look like the rowdy type, sir? I promise we won't cause a lick of trouble for you." I say, turning on the charm to soften him up. His stern face goes soft.

"Of course not. Two rooms it is. You know, young lady, you remind me an awful lot of my granddaughter. She's a little older. Recently married." He says as he starts filling out a paper.

"Congratulations." I say with a bright smile. "I've still got quite a few years ahead of me before I think about that though."

"To be sure! To be sure!" He says, smiling. "Here you are, two of my finest rooms, but at half the regular rate." He adds the last part in a conspiratory manner.

"Thank you so much, sir." I say and he hands over the keys and we walk away. Kankuro shakes his head. "What? We aren't going to cause any problems." He shakes his head again. "I can be a real girl when the occasion calls for it. Most of the time I need to be more masculine…otherwise no one takes me seriously." I say, pulling my hair over my shoulder. Shikamaru gives me one of the keys.

"Go ahead, we've gotta discuss something that you can't hear." He says and I nod, reading the number on the key before I go to the room. I lay my backpack down on one of the beds and grab my pajamas and the other toiletries I have sealed away in a scroll and I get into the shower. I turn the water on as hot as I can stand it and I begin to scrub. Once I feel at least a little human, I wash my hair. When I start to get dizzy, I turn the water off. I squeeze the excess water from my hair before I dry off and get dressed. Shikamaru sits up as I walk out of the bathroom and sit down on the bed I'd ditched my backpack on. "Temari's worried about you."

"I'm fine." I say, my jaw set in a stubborn line. "I processed the feelings and dealt with it. I'm fine now."

"Minako, I've seen you freak out before. I've never seen you like that." He says and I sigh as I squeeze the towel on my hair some more. I pull it off and start brushing it.

"I don't do powerless. I face adversity and I overcome it…I'm not the kind of girl who got by with her looks." I say, pulling my knees to my chest. "If I can't protect myself…"

"But you did protect yourself." He says and I frown, resting my chin on my knees. "Minako." He comes over and sits in front of me. "If there ever comes a day when you can't protect yourself, there will always be someone there to back you up."

"I just…I've been in tough situations before. I've had wounds that should have been mortal…I've had broken bones. I've faced men six times my size…but no one has ever…No one has ever really looked at me like…no one has ever touched me that way and it's disgusting. I can still feel his hands on me. I know you're really mad and don't want to hear this stuff, but I'm freaking out. I don't feel safe." I'm staring at my feet.

"You are safe though. Do you really think I'd let anything happen to you? Who else would annoy me as artfully as you do?" He asks and I look at him, mild amusement on my face. "Why don't you get some sleep until dinner?" He suggests and I nod. "I'll be here the whole time, I promise."

"Thanks." I say as I braid my hair over my shoulder. I secure it with my elastic before I curl up on my side. Shikamaru moves my backpack and my weapons to the table in the corner of the room. I close my eyes.

* * *

I wake up at the sound of a particularly loud crack of thunder. It sends my heart racing and I sit up quickly, bashing my head against Shikamaru's. He actually falls down.

"Fuck." I say, holding a hand over where they'd connected. "What were you doing? Freak." I hear stifled laughter and open my eyes to see Kankuro and Temari standing there with a takeout bag…oh yeah, dinner.

"I was about to wake you up and then you flipped out." Shikamaru says as he gets up, rubbing his forehead. "Guess your trick doesn't work for you."

"Chakra suppression? Hell no." I say and then I shake my head. "I think you gave me a concussion. That's a really shitty gift, Shikamaru."

"Let me see." He says and then he pulls my hand away from his forehead and he laughs a little. "You're bleeding. Here." He goes over to my medical pouch and pulls out the first aid kit.

"Move my stuff first so that Kankuro doesn't have to hold that bag for all eternity." I say and my best friend rolls his eyes as he moves the rest of my stuff. Temari starts taking things out of the bag. Shikamaru grabs one of the alcohol pads from the kit and starts dabbing at it. "I can head butt a guy no problem, but we bump heads and I'm bleeding. I think you're the problem, Shikamaru."

"It's my revenge since you're such an asshole." He says and I laugh. I check him over with just my eyes, he appears to be fine. "That should do it. It wasn't too bad."

"Thank you, Dr. Nara. Now let's eat, I'm starving." I say and Temari hands me a plate. It looks alright. "Thanks."

"No problem." She says and then she sits down in one of the chairs with her own meal. "So…how did you get into medical ninjutsu?"

"I was bored." I say and she raises an eyebrow in intrigue. "I was ten and the curriculum at the Academy was boring me so I got my neighbor to find me some medical textbooks and I started teaching myself. I couldn't actually do anything until about a year ago. When my Sharingan woke up, it became a lot easier."

"Mr. Nakajima? The gambler?" Shikamaru asks and I nod. "He didn't strike as the type of guy to want to help with that sort of thing."

"I remind him of somebody. He taught me how to play cards too, not that I enjoy it very much. Mr. Nakajima used to be a shinobi, but he got injured too badly to continue his career and so he lives vicariously through Sasuke and I." I explain to Kankuro and Temari.

"That's nice to hear…most of our injured veterans mostly become hermits." Kankuro says and I offer a fair enough look. That happens too. "So did he become like a dad to you?" I laugh so hard I snort.

"More like a drunk uncle. No, the only person I really associate as like a dad is Shikamaru's dad, Shikaku. He's great." I say and this idea intrigues Temari for some reason. She's trying to hide it. She likes him. I guess I should expect something like that…he is attractive and a great person. But Shikaku isn't like a dad to ME…he's fatherly in a general sense. What I think a father should be. I don't really contribute much more, but Kankuro more than makes up for it. He's pretty funny. Pretty soon they're heading back to their room. Temari looks like she wants to say something, but I don't give her the opportunity as I head into the bathroom. I turn the hot water on in the sink and let it run.

"Shikamaru…let her know that if she needs to talk to someone…someone who isn't you, to let me know. Alright?" Temari says in a low voice. Why do people always underestimate my ability to hear things?

"Thanks…but don't hold your breath. That's not how she deals with things. She'll be alright." He says and then she's gone. The water is warm enough now, and so I splash my face. I dry it on the hand towel before I turn it off. Shikamaru knocks. I open the door and hang off of the frame, blinking at him. "She's just worried."

"Yeah? Well I don't need anyone to worry about me. You, Sasuke, and my boys do it enough for everyone." I say and he sighs. I step forward, slipping my arms around him. He waits for a moment before he hugs me back. This hug is different from any that we've had before. He's gotten a lot taller and so he's the perfect height to wear my head tucks right under his chin. For some reason, this hug feels a lot more intimate. At least it is for me…with my head turned to the side so that I can breathe, my ear is pressed to his chest and I can hear his heart beat. It's slowly returning to a normal pace. "You've got to understand…I only just recently stopped feeling like a total loser when I rely on you. I barely know her."

"I hear you." He says, but he doesn't move to let go of me which is something that I'm really happy about. "What can I do to help you right now?"

"I don't know." I say even though I do. Being close to him like this is helping me to feel a lot better.

"That's a load of crap. This is one of those rare times where you'd rather be close to someone. It's fine, you can say that." He says and I pull back and look up at him, a light glower in place. "I am going to take a quick shower, though. Are you going to be alright?"

"I'm fine." I groan, releasing him and flopping onto my bed. He grabs his things before he retreats into the bathroom. I move my weapons before I crawl under the covers. When he's done in the shower he repacks his bag, so that we're ready to go at a moment's notice, turns off the light, and then he sits down on the other side of my bed.

"This okay?" He asks and I think he means if he sleeps here with me. Of course it's okay, he'd never do anything and I trust him more than I trust my own brother right now.

"This may come as a shock…but you can even use the blanket." I say sarcastically. "Shikamaru, you lived in my hospital room. You've slept beside me more than even my own squad has. Hell, the only reason you haven't slept beside me more than my own brother is because I've technically known him longer."

"Oh shut up." He says as he pulls the covers back and lays down beside me. "You ever think of saying something but then don't because it sounds kind of creepy in your head?"

"What kinds of creepy thoughts were you having about me, Shikamaru?" I ask, turning to face him.

"I guess it's not too bad…It's just that one of my favorite times to see you is when you're sleeping, but only because that's the only time where you don't look worried at all." He says and that causes my heart to flutter. "I mean, yeah, with our job it's kind of okay to be worried all the time…but I don't know."

"You're right….that was kind of creepy." I say and even though my eyes haven't adjusted to the darkness yet, I know he's glowering at me. "But I understand the feeling…Really I don't think I've relaxed in six whole years. Can you believe it?"

"Especially since you're my friend, no I can't." He says and I laugh a little. "That much stress is bad for a person. What can I do to help?"

"I really don't know." I say with a laugh. When have I felt more relaxed? Never really with Sasuke…I'm always too worried about him. My boys stress me out from their arguing but also because I'm worried. I don't get to spend nearly as much time with Ino or Sakura and so I don't know how relaxed I am around them. Shikaku helps me relax, but that's mostly because I'm focused on training or some sort of task. "I think I've felt the most relaxed around you or your family. You more so than your dad and your dad more so than your mom. Being near you is like…" How can I say this without sounding like I'm telling him that I like him? "It's just easy being near you because I know that I can trust you to take care of me if I need it, but you won't force it on me. I've never exactly addressed this with you…but I owe you for my life."

"No you don't." He says and I smile a little. "And you don't need to feel weird about anything. You relax me too…in a way that nothing else really can. Not even shogi." That makes me blush. "Is that what I think it is? Yet another win for me?"

"Shut the fuck up." I growl lashing out to punch him in the shoulder. He laughs, catching my first before I can do any damage. I take my first back and turn so that my back is to him. "Good night, Shikamaru."

* * *

I'm really warm when I wake up and it's nice. I don't feel tension in my shoulders like I normally do. I roll over and I am surprised when I see Shikamaru. Why am I surprised though? I knew that he went to sleep with me. I guess I'm more surprised by the close proximity and the arm wrapped around my waist. I don't want to move, but I'm going to because it's wrong to take advantage of this situation. I carefully move his arm before I take my bag to the bathroom with me. I pile my hair on top of my head before I scrub my skin really well again. When I'm done, I dress in my gray shorts, my black v-neck, and my chunin vest. I secure my forehead protector around my neck before I exit the bathroom and attach my pouches. Shikamaru is still sleeping. I pounce on the bed and he gasps, hands gripping the tops of my arms.

"Wake up, I'm hungry." I say and he lets out the breath he'd taken and sighs. "I'm sorry." I'm trying not to laugh.

"Nearly give a guy a heart attack." He says, letting go of me. I sit back on my feet, still trying really hard not to laugh. "You copying me?"

"No. I'm a chunin as well and I figure that if I'm going to a foreign village, I should do my best to represent the village." I say and then I smirk. "Also, tons of pockets are great for concealing more weapons on my person which makes me feel better."

"Alright." He says with a yawn. "Give me a minute and we can go pick up breakfast." I smile and push out my senses. Temari and Kankuro are still asleep. Shikamaru hops up and heads for the bathroom with his bag. When he comes out, he's dressed in his usual clothes. I let my hair down and shake it out before I step into my low cut sandals. I figured since I was going to the Village Hidden in the Sand, I'd better be prepared for unbearably hot weather. Perhaps I should have picked a different colored shirt….oh well, too late now. We leave quietly. He's walking in a more…masculine sort of way. He's not slouched over like he normally is.

"You're especially manly today, Shikamaru." I say and he raises an eyebrow at me. "What? You're all broad shoulders and tough guy face."

"Well…I hate to have to be the one to explain this to the medic and all, but a guy who has to keep up on strength training is bound to have a broader chest." He says and I roll my eyes, smirking. We arrive at a market. "Now pick out your fruit. My treat."

"You're so sweet." I say as I pinch his cheek. I go to the cart and select a couple of perfect apples. Shikamaru pays and we go off in search of breakfast. We order enough for all four of us before we head back to the inn. Shikamaru knocks on Temari and Kankuro's door and Kankuro answers. "We come bearing food."

"My savior." He says with a hand over his heart. "Temari's in the shower, but you're more than welcome to have a seat." I smile as I take a seat at the table. I take out a kunai and begin slicing up one of my apples.

"You're spoiled." Shikamaru says all of a sudden and I raise an eyebrow at him. "What? You think Junichi and Izanagi don't give me tips on handling you?"

"Handling me?" I ask with a short laugh. Then I think on it… "Those bastards! I'm going to kill them when we get home. What the hell did they tell you?"

"Nothing I didn't already know." He says with a shrug and I glower at him. "But you're spoiled. You've got them wrapped around your finger."

"This is crazy, I know, but you don't piss off your medic…or your leader. I happen to be both. I am not spoiled." I say, my chin raising a fraction. "I have them right where I want them to be."

"Yes, and all you've gotta do is snap your fingers." Shikamaru says and I can tell he's goading me now. Making me act like my usual self. "I'm not totally convinced the Sharingan doesn't have something to do with it."

"I don't know about that, Shikamaru. I could tell there was no jutsu involved in sweet talking that old guy yesterday." He says and I smile sweetly.

"Oh no, she got you too. I swear, the only sane ones are me and her brother and I even question him sometimes." He says and I roll my eyes. Suddenly a bird knocks into the window…a crow. It looks right at me before it falls.

"I'm going to go and make sure it's okay." I say, hopping up and jumping out the window before anyone can say anything. "Wait birdy!" I call airily as I 'chase' the crow into the forest. Really, we should have been further away from Konoha by this point. Our journey will be closer to four days now. "Birdy?" I use the body flicker technique and move further away. Itachi comes out from behind a tree. "What gives? I haven't seen you in half a year and all of a sudden you or some part of you is running into the window of the team that I'm traveling with? Are you insane?"

"I have news." He says and I feel my eyes widen a little. Then he turns as he senses something. A kunai slices my cheek and I feel dread as I spot the shinobi from yesterday. What is this? Some poorly written story?

"Ita-Itachi." My mouth is dry as I try to speak. The tears are filling my eyes…I can feel his hands.

"So the bitch brought one of her boyfriends along to fight me?" The shinobi asks, licking his lips. "I guess killing two people will be okay for today. You're gonna die first, big guy. Then I'm gonna do things to her that you won't believe. I came back to finish the job, Sweetheart."

"The young lady you are speaking of is my sister." Itachi says, his voice a deadly calm. "And if my assumptions are correct in the job you are speaking of, you are currently taking your last breaths." He informs the man and then he pins him to the tree by his throat. Dead. Like that, Itachi protected me from the man. "Insolent."

"I probably would have said flaming sack of dog shit." I say and he turns to me. "I…" I fall to my knees, face in my hands. "I'm a lame ass kunoichi."

"You're not lame." He says and then I feel his arms around me. "What I'm assuming happened was a traumatic experience that should not have happened to you. The situation has been dealt with and you are now safe." I relax. "We don't have much time. My news regards Orochimaru. He has a hideout in the direction that you will be traveling. I will lead you around it safely." I nod, not questioning how he'll do it. "Look at me, Minako." I look up at him. He kisses my forehead. "Be smart."

"Okay." I say with a nod and then he helps me stand up. "Thank you for…" I start, glancing toward the shinobi pinned to the tree.

"I promised that I would protect you, did I not?" He asks and I smile. "The puppet master is about to come looking for you."

"Alright. Be safe." I say and then I return to the inn. "Birdy was okay, the beak was just a little bent. Poor thing." I perch on the windowsill.

"Minako…what happened to your face?" Temari asks and I bring my legs through the window and close it.

"It's rather unfortunate…." I say slowly, turning to face them. "I was born with the terrible misfortune of looking like Sasuke Uchiha. I've tried everything in my power to dull down the resemblance…but let's face it. If I styled my hair like him and wore stilts, you wouldn't be able to tell the difference."

"Funny, but I meant that cut on your cheek." She says and my hand goes to the cut that has since stopped bleeding. Shikamaru tosses me a jar.

"Nara family salve. Mom said you'd probably need it at one point or another." He says and I toss a light-hearted glower before I wipe the blood away and apply a small amount of the salve. "Now quit being weird, and let's eat."

"It's like you don't know me." I say, but comply none the less. We really need to get going. After breakfast we check out and we head off towards the Sand Village. I see a crow flying overhead. "Wait!"

"What is it?" Temari asks, looking at me with vague concern. I point to the crow circling above us.

"You'll have to forgive me…but my family is a bit superstitious and if a crow behaves like that, you've gotta follow it." I say and then I look at Shikamaru, trying to convey with my eyes. It's Itachi….come on, understand.

"It's true. She gets fidgety." Shikamaru says with a shrug. "They're a weird family, but crows seem to like helping them out. So maybe it'll be a shortcut."

"Oh alright, let's just get moving." Temari says and then I take the lead, following the crow. After about four hours of travel, the bird bursts into flames.

"Oh! A most fortunate omen." I say, continuing in the direction the crow had been leading. We're back on track to the village now. "Sorry for being so weird. I don't know what you believe about the afterlife, but I like to think that their spirits become birds so that they're free." It's not totally a lie….I don't think that everyone gets reincarnated immediately or in a way that you think. They may just have a temporary bird state that they stay in until their soul is ready to pass on to their next life, who am I to say? I sound like an airhead and it's great because I know that Shikamaru will be exasperated.

"That's actually really kind of beautiful." Kankuro says and I smile over my shoulder at him.

* * *

The border from the Land of Fire to the Land of Wind is very dramatic. It seems like it's a metric butt ton of trees and then death…or rather desert. The heat is almost a little overwhelming. I focus my chakra to help alleviate my discomfort and I'm okay. It doesn't take us very long to reach their village. We're walking through the shopping distract when I see a little girl about to get crushed by a falling crate. I don't think, I react. My arms close around the little girl and I brace for impact because I know I can't move in time, but I get yanked backwards. I look over my shoulder and see glowing blue strings coming from Kankuro's fingertips. I return my attention to the hysterical little girl in my arms.

"It's alright, little one." I say in a kind, soft voice. "Did you get hurt at all? I'm sorry I had to squeeze you so tight."

"I-I'm fine." She says, wiping her eyes. "That was j-just scary." I smile my understanding and wipe her eyes tears gently with my handkerchief. "Lord Kankuro! Lady Temari!" She squeaks and then she's bowing.

"Relax, Sora. Where's Akira at? Shouldn't he be keeping an eye on you?" Kankuro asks, crouching beside us. That's when we take notice of the kitten in her arms. How had I not noticed it?

"I had to save the kitty." She says bashfully. "I'm sorry for causing trouble. I didn't mean to." More tears are filling her eyes.

"It's okay." I say with a smile. "Kankuro sort of looks like a kitty, so he's probably very grateful for your saving one of his friends." She giggles and I smile brightly.

"Yes, very grateful." He says dryly and then he stands up. "Why don't you come back with us, Sora? Maybe Akira will turn up."

"Alright!" She chirps, standing up. Kankuro holds out his hand to me and I allow him to hoist me up. Our group is moving again.

"Minako, please try to be less reckless." Shikamaru says and I turn to shoot him a dirty look.

"I'm a medic, I've got room to be reckless." I say and he rolls his eyes. "And Kankuro had my back…village alliances and whatnot. Not to mention we saved Miss Kitty and Sora. I chalk that up as a worthy risk to take." We arrive at the Kazekage tower and we enter. A man looks up as we do and he jumps up.

"Sora? What are you…oh no." He says, sounding a little like Itachi did the time he forgot that he was going to train Sasuke and I. I take it that this is Akira.

"Big Brother!" Sora exclaims as she runs over to him. "Lord Kankuro and Lady Temari's friend Minako saved me and Miss Kitty!"

"Is that so? Why did you need saving in the first place?" He asks sternly. She looks down at the floor.

"It's no trouble, Akira." Temari says before she walks down a hall way. I guess when you're the Kazekage's sister, you get free reign.

"Akira here works alongside us in assisting Gaara." Kankuro explains as he goes over to a desk and looks over a paper before he signs it. "And so Sora spends time here, isn't that right?"

"Yup! Since it's just Big Brother and I, they let me come here after training at the Academy!" Sora chirps and I smile.

"So you're going to be a kunoichi? I think that's great. The world needs some more great ones." I say and her eyes sparkle.

"Did you hear that Akira!?" She squeals and the older boy smiles at me. "You're my hero from Konoha! Lady Temari is my hero here." She adds the last part shyly. "The other girls tell me I won't be any good because I don't have a mommy though…" That breaks my heart…in Konoha no one would have dared tell me such a thing.

"Neither do I and look at me. I am an apprentice of the Hokage's. Whether your mom is with you or not, your success is ultimately up to you. So never stop fighting." I say and the timid look on her face turns to one of determination.

"Thank you." Akira says with a smile. "Ah, if you're going to be in the village for a while we've got a spare room that you could use…to save you some money."

"We have arrangements, thanks." Shikamaru says and Akira seems surprised…like he hadn't noticed him.

"Minako, Gaara would like to speak with you in private for a moment." Temari says as she walks out.

"Alright." I say with a small smile. "Remember, Sora, never give up." The little girl nods, still determined and I head to Gaara's office. I knock on the door.

"You may enter." He says and I'm vaguely nervous as I open the door and walk in. "Minako Uchiha." He stands up.

"You wanted to see me, Lord Kazekage?" I ask respectfully bowing my head to him. I'm not a dummy.

"Yes…" He says and I stand there with a neutral expression, body in a relaxed posture. "I wanted to apologize to you."

"For what? I don't have any grudges against you…or any hard feelings really. I'm decently neutral." I say and he walks out from behind the desk.

"The last chunin exams." He says, hands folded behind his back. "I had gone to the hospital with the intent of murdering Rock Lee and you got in my way. I wanted to apologize for almost killing you."

"Like I said, no hard feelings. You've obviously changed." I say with a small smile. "You're far less scary than you used to be." There's a flicker of some emotion in his eyes. "No offense."

"None taken." He says and I smile. "That is all I wanted to say, you may go." I bow my head again before I walk out. Temari raises an eyebrow in question. I look to make sure Sora isn't in the room still. She and Akira are gone.

"He apologized for almost killing me one time." I whisper and then I smile. "It was kind of sweet, really." I'm still promoting my nonthreatening self. I'm thinking calm things, face neutral, no sudden movement. I'm in a foreign village, so I can't be too careful.

"Yes…well Kankuro can show you to the hotel you'll be staying at." Temari says, going over and sitting down at a desk. "We'll talk shop at dinner."

"Sounds good." Shikamaru says with a nod and then we follow Kankuro out. We travel quietly and he gets our room key for us.

"I'll come pick you up around eight for dinner. See ya then." He says as he gives the key to Shikamaru.

"Bye, Mr. Kitty." I say and he gives a light-hearted glower. "Oh you know it's funny and it made Sora laugh. That's the important thing."

"I guess. See ya at eight, Mina." He says and then he's gone. Shikamaru looks very grumpy as he leads the way to our room. It's a suite with two bedrooms.

"What's got your panties in a twist?" I ask as I flop down onto the couch. "You've been pissy since we got here."

"It's just annoying how every guy throws themselves at your feet." He says and I raise an eyebrow as I sit up. "Oh come on, that Akira guy didn't even notice I was there until I said something. I'm a great deal taller than you, I'm not that hard to miss."

"I'm his little sister's idol from Konoha, of course he's going to notice me first. Boys have soft spots for their little sisters." I say and then I recall the events of the other day. "Speaking of which, I owe you an explanation. He showed up…"

"He meaning your brother." He says and I nod. "Any particular reason he had a crow slam into the window? I know you aren't exactly subtle, but I thought he might be a little more…"

"He led us around Orochimaru." I say and the air leaves his lungs. I don't think he'd ever admit that he's afraid of Orochimaru sinking his creepy snake fangs into me….but he definitely is. This is a fear reaction. "That's what that was about…but before he told me about it that shinobi who attacked me showed up. That's what happened to my cheek." I say and his eyes darken, fear turning to anger. "Itachi killed him." For some reason, that sentence sounds odd to me. Maybe it's the way I said it? It's easy to talk about another shinobi killing someone in casual conversation…but talking about how my older brother killed the man who wanted to hurt me in such a way with a soft voice. It's almost in reverence. Maybe I'm astonished because he is keeping his promise after all.

"Mina?" Shikamaru is sitting on the floor in front of me, eyebrows drawn together. I blink a couple of times before I smile softly.

"It's been a while since you called me that." I say and he just looks at me. "Sorry…I'm just still kind of shaken up from that experience…and Itachi actually keeping his promise. I'm never agreeing to leave the country with you again. I must be crazy."

"Must be." He says with a smirk and then he stands up. "Don't space out like that, it freaks me out."

"I'm sorry…" I say softly and then I stand up. "I'm going to take a shower." I go to one of the bedrooms and close the door behind me. I go into the adjoining bathroom and turn on the water…not as hot as I normally would. It feels good to wash the sweat from my body. Once I finish, I dress in fresh clothes and style my hair into a bun on top of my head like I normally do on my days off.

"Hey, would you be a sentinel for the first exam?" Shikamaru calls from the living room. I walk out, eyebrow raised. "I need one more and you've got the best eyes for the job out of most of my friends."

"Sure. I guess." I say with a shrug. "This is a weird mission…I'm used to action…things blowing up next to my head. Knives flying all over the place. Keeping my boys alive…them keeping me alive."

"The hell kind of missions have you been going on recently?" He asks and I look at him, eyebrow raised.

"C-ranks mostly….B-ranks as well, but not as frequently. Lady Tsunade has faith in me and she knows that Junichi and Izanagi are skilled enough. You of all people should know the kind of situation we're in." I say and he nods. "Don't worry, your Mina will always come home. I've got an idiot brother to look after…and who would piss you off? I can't neglect my responsibilities."

"What a relief." He says dryly and I laugh before I fall onto the couch again. "And what do you mean it's been a while? I call you Mina all the time."

"No you don't. You haven't called me that in at least a year and a half…maybe more." I say, amused. "Minako." I do a perfect imitation of the exasperated way he says my name. "But it is cute when you say Mina, I must admit."

"Shut up." He says and I chuckle as I close my eyes. "You can take a nap if you want. I'll wake you up before dinner."

"What is it with you boys and trying to turn me into a sloth?" I ask with a yawn and I feel the smirk. "Shut up before I say embarrassing things to piss you off."

"I'm in a good mood, I'd like to see you try." He says and I huff because I'm too tired to actually say anything.

* * *

Shikamaru is gone when I wake up in the morning. It's not exactly weird, because he is here on a mission and whatnot. What's weird is the knock on the door. I go and open it and it's Kankuro.

"Room service." He says with a grin as he holds up a bag. I smile and take a step back to allow him inside. "I also brought a special treat." It's a bag of apples. "Shikamaru said this should last you at least a couple of hours."

"He would." I say with a shake of my head. We sit down at the table and he empties out the bags. "So I assume that Temari and Shikamaru are doing actual work while I sleep the day away."

"It's only seven." He says and I chuckle, if only he knew. "But yeah, they'll be busy until dinner. So I offered to hang out with you until then."

"Your sacrifice is greatly appreciated." I say with a laugh. We begin eating and I look out the window. "Suna is very different from Konoha…"

"Yes…and water is wet." He says and I snicker. "It's kinda funny though, because you don't look like you'd fit in at all here, yet you do."

"I've interacted with a total of two citizens of this village." I say, regarding him skeptically. "And what do you mean? I don't look like I'd fit in?"

"You're kidding right? You're blindingly pale." He says and I pretend to be offended. "I don't mean it in a bad way. It's just a statement of fact."

"I know, I'm just fucking with you." I say with a smirk and he looks a little relieved. "You'll have to forgive me. I've been spending too much time with Shikamaru lately and it's my goal in life to piss him off at least once a day every day for the rest of the time that I know him. I think it's because he told me that I couldn't get rid of him once. We stay because we're stubborn."

"So are you two…?" He asks and I can't help but laugh. I'd like to tell Shikamaru how I feel, but he'd probably just laugh at me.

"No, he's been my best friend forever." I say with a fond smile. "It started after my family died and he's just always been there for me since then. We take care of each other….all the while pissing each other off."

"Ah, well it's good that you have a friend like that." He says and I nod, smiling. "So after breakfast, what do you want to do?"

"I don't know…lately I haven't had any free time and so I kind of forget how to be a semi-normal person." I say and he regards me thoughtfully.

"What if I showed you my workshop? I know it's not the most interesting thing in the world…Never mind, that's stupid." He says, shaking his head.

"No, ever since yesterday I've been thinking about puppet master jutsu a lot. When you pulled be back with Sora." I say and he grins at me. "You've got to have really great chakra control for that."

"I do alright for myself." He says with a shrug. "I might be on par with a lesser medical shinobi."

"I think it'd be interesting to try and copy…though I wouldn't do that. I try not to….Heaven forbid I become the new copy-nin." I say and he looks interested. "What? I mean certainly it's been useful in my medical training, but I'd never gank any of my friends' techniques."

"You haven't copied anyone's?" He asks and I look away. "Who is it?" I cover my face. I don't want to say it. "Come on, it can't be that bad."

"Shikamaru's…it was an accident! Nobody else knows about it and I'll kill you if you say anything." I say, pointing at him. "I was watching a little too intently and it just kind of happened. I feel terrible about it, so I never use it."

"But you could." He says and I nod. "Don't worry, I won't tell anyone. I'd hate to be the cause of a war between our villages."

"Good man." I say, finishing off my main dish before I slice up an apple. "I do a bit of everything on my own…I don't want to be lazy and just copy stuff. I work hard for my skills."

"It shows. Most girls I know don't have nearly as defined biceps as you do." He says and I rub my arms, a little self-conscious. "It's not a bad thing. It's kinda cute." I roll my eyes, but smile none the less. "I appreciate a girl who can take care of herself."

"Well, I've been keeping myself and my brother alive all these years. One of us has to do a little bit of work." I say and he smiles.

"That's kinda how Temari is with me. She thinks that just because she's the oldest she's got to be the one to take care of us…and Gaara's the Kazekage." He says and I smile.

"It's really the women of the family that keep things together. Brothers would lose their fucking heads if not for their sisters. Sasuke will tell you that much." I say with an air of superiority. "That's one thing I completely relate to Temari on…I'd do anything for my brothers."

"Even Itachi?" He asks and I look away. "I'm sorry. When you told me you fought him, I got curious and looked him up in the Bingo Book. That's rough."

"Yeah…pretty rough." I say with a laugh. "I cherished the ground that he walked on when I was a little girl. Sasuke and I both did."

"It's good that you can trust after that kind of a betrayal though." He says and I hum. "It's good that you and Sasuke had each other."

"He drives me insane with worry, but I probably do the same." I say, shaking my head. "But yeah…I'm glad he's my brother." I finish my apple. "Well I'm going to get dressed and we can head out whenever you're ready." I stand up and return to my bedroom where I close the door. I can already tell that it's hotter than Hell outside by the heat wave squiggles rising from the buildings and so I dress in brown shorts paired with my black mesh armor tee shirt. I pull on my vest before I attach my various pouches and my tanto. I step into my sandals and secure my forehead protector around my neck before I braid my hair over my right shoulder. I step out of my room and Kankuro is cleaning up.

"You ready to go?" He asks and I nod, smiling. We leave the room and head out, traveling at civilian speed through the streets. "I figured I may as well give you the grand tour."

"That and it's good for the Kazekage's brother to be seen with a very obvious Konoha-nin." I say and he shrugs. "It's okay, I understand."

"Doesn't hurt that you're cute, too." He adds with a wink and I roll my eyes. "Cute is a bit of an understatement, but it'll do."

"Thanks." I say dryly. "So, tell me, what is your favorite part about living in Sunagakure, Kankuro of the Sand?"

"Well, Minako Uchiha, I'll just have to show you later. It's not something that I can really explain." He says and curiosity has the best of me. "You'll love it."

* * *

It's dinner time…we're eating with the sand siblings and it's really nice. Gaara is offering some conversation. He has a sense of humor that most people probably wouldn't get, but I think he's hilarious. All of a sudden, Kankuro curses.

"Minako, come on!" He exclaims, standing up and dragging me by the arm out the door. I follow him through the building until we finally reach the roof. We walk to the edge and he leans against it. I see the most beautiful sunset I have ever seen. "This is my favorite part about Suna. The sunset." I hop up on the ledge to get a better look at the sun descending behind the sand dune. The pinks and purples are amazing. The door bursts open, causing me to jump and my foot slips. I fall. I prepare to perform some of my sick ninja moves, but my body jerks to a halt before it gets yanked back up. Kankuro catches me and Shikamaru looks pissed.

"Really Kankuro!?" Temari shouts at the same time as Shikamaru shouting the same thing, only with my name. "You dragged her up here like it was some great emergency, just to watch the sunset!?"

"What? She asked me to show her and I almost forgot." He responds simply. "It's your fault she fell."

"I had that handled, by the way." I say, elbowing him. "But it was kind of cool. Nothing hurt."

"Good, I was a little worried that I'd missed a point. Didn't want to break anything." He says with a closed-eye smile.

"Eh, nothing I couldn't fix. Probably." I say and then we laugh. Gaara is just kind of hanging back…looking a little awkward. Shikamaru is glaring daggers at Kankuro. "Hey, settle down." I walk over to my friend and take his hands. "I'm sorry, okay?"

"You will be." He says and I raise an eyebrow, what a strange thing to say. "Can we go back to dinner now?"

"Well yeah, the sun has already set." I say simply and he glowers at me. The five of us return to dinner then and Kankuro and I sit like children who are in trouble. Both Temari and Shikamaru look pissed off still. I can't help the snark….I really can't. "Dad…am I grounded? Because that's totally not fair." The vein in Shikamaru's forehead pops out and he glares at me. "Oh come on, what are you guys so mad about?"

"You're right." Temari says, chuckling a bit. "It is kind of silly to be mad. After all, this is your first time here. Why'd you call him dad?"

"If you spend any amount of time with the two of us, you'll realize that eighty-six percent of what I do is intended to piss Shikamaru off because I'm the only person who gets him going like that and it's fun. There's about four to six percent of what I do that is unintentional. But sometimes my greatest joy is seeing that cute little vein in his forehead pop out." I say with a closed-eye smile.

"You need a new hobby." Shikamaru says dryly and I grin at him. "Remind me why I keep your around again?"

"Because, I'm as lovable as I am annoying." I say and he gives 'fair enough' look. "And besides, I don't piss you off ALL the time…otherwise your blood pressure would be way too high and I would have to remove myself from your presence…for your health, of course. As a medical almost professional, I am obligated to put your well-being before my weird hobbies."

"At least she's got her priorities in the right place." Kankuro says and we laugh again. "I thought you were kind of an asshole when we first met. You were just bossing your team around and jumping all over your brother."

"Oh dear boy, do not mistake. I am indeed an asshole, but as I said, I am lovable." I say with a grin. "And you only think I'm bossy 'cause I'm a girl. If Shikamaru had nearly the leadership abilities that I expressed at such a young age they would be called just that."

"Except you didn't express those abilities until you had to." My friend says, trying to get back at me for the jab.

"I didn't want to make my brother jealous, you saw how pissy he was when he found out I got my Sharingan before him." I say and he hums his appreciation. "And besides, I used to be terribly lazy."

"Says the girl who taught herself basic medical ninjutsu." Kankuro says and I laugh. "What? Shikamaru brags about you all the time."

"More like I'm telling you what's motivating the people in our year." Shikamaru says after he coughs. "Ino especially."

"You dominated her in your fight!" Kankuro exclaims and I wave him off. "I hated to admit that you were talented then because we were supposed to be enemies, but I appreciate a girl who can kick ass."

"Especially when she's kicked yours." Temari says coolly and I snicker. "I have to admit, I considered you a threat."

"I tend to have that effect on people." I say with a shrug. "It's because I'm a scary looking son of a bitch when I'm really into a fight."

"I remember." Temari says and I shake my head a little bit. "If there's anything to be said about Leaf Shinobi I suppose that it could be that they're pretty hard core." I shrug.

"What do you mean, 'shrug'? She told me that you had a freakin' bone sword sticking out of your shoulder. Then your brother ripped it out and then you still kept fighting." Kankuro says and I shrug again. "You're unbelievable."

"And now you understand why she is concerned about my blood pressure." Shikamaru says and that makes me laugh.


	8. Show Him Who's Boss!

**Welcome to chapter 8! I apologize that it's so short, but I've been battling writer's block. I hope that you enjoy what I did think up! Also, if you haven't already go and check out the blog I made! . com! And one more thing! (in the voice of Uncle from Jackie Chan Adventures) Constructive criticism is and always will be welcome! I've been trying to improve as I've gone on but I'm kind of losing faith in this story. I'm hoping things will pick up with the time skip!**

"You're always so lazy when you spar with me, Shikamaru." I say, making a face at him from across the ring. "What's the problem? Afraid that I'd still kick your butt in a real fight?"

"You want a real fight?" He asks and I nod. "Okay…only taijutsu though. You'd complain about shadow possession not being fair."

"So it's a deal? No holding back?" I ask and he nods. I can see that the sensei are intrigued by the notion.

"Go Minako! Show him who is the boss!" Lee cheers, jumping in his excitement for my youthful display…or whatever.

"Yeah! Make him cry like a little girl!" Izanagi joins in. My mouth twitches, but I don't allow myself to laugh.

"Alright…but if I think it's getting out of hand, the fight will be stopped." Kenta-sensei says, his tone is very serious.

"You know…this is probably a really bad idea with Sasuke here." Kakashi-sensei says thoughtfully. "Meh, it'll be fine. It's only a spar after all."

"Begin." Asuma-sensei says and I move. What surprises me is the fact that Shikamaru meets me half way. I block a punch with my forearm and punch him in the stomach while he's distracted.

"That hurt a bit." He notes, trying to sound nonchalant. "You've never used the Uchiha style with me."

"The Uchiha play to win." I say, spinning into my next blow to put more force behind it. "That and Yoshida said that he might be able to spring me for a mission. He's used to the Uchiha style and so I thought I'd get some practice in."

"Since when does Shikamaru have casual conversations in the middle of a fight?" Ino asks and Sasuke sniffs.

"The fluidity with which Minako fights makes everything comfortable…until she decides she's done playing." He says and I suppress my laughter.

"A true predator, that one is." Izanagi notes fondly. "She's like…hmm…some sort of cat."

"Meow." I say as I land a really good punch in Shikamaru's side. He stumbles backwards, but falls into a back flip. I narrowly avoid getting kicked in the face. As he sticks his landing, I drop and sweep his feet. He falls and I launch myself into a tackle. Somehow we're about a foot in the air and he flips so that I'm on the bottom and he slams me into the ground. I cough, but keep moving. I roll backwards and I'm on my feet, he's coming right at me. I shift my feet so that I have better balance before I launch myself forward. I'm staying low now. It's harder for him like this since his legs are so long. He surprises me by actually making me stand up with him. It's so smooth in combat that I don't have time to react to make him stay where I have the advantage. He's focusing more on kicks, and so I should stay in close. I switch from the Uchiha to a more brawler style of taijutsu. Well…as much as I can be a brawler as a one-hundred and three pound kunoichi. I take a note from my spars with my sensei and use his chest as a spring board. He's surprised when I jump into the backflip and even more surprised when I push him almost all the way out of the ring with the force of my kick. I land, kicking up dirt as I get into a sick ninja pose. At this point I would use the trick where I create the distraction, but that technically isn't taijutsu. My hair billows dramatically in the motion.

"This is the girl who kept herself in the air by kicking off of kunai that she threw. I'm not surprised." I hear Neji say and I wonder who he is saying it to. I should really pay more attention to my surroundings as well.

"Don't forget the molten flames that nearly cooked his goose." I note off-handedly and then I smirk as Shikamaru is running back at me. "Sasuke gets twitchy when we talk about that, though." I meet him and we exchange blows. The punch to my ribs is very surprising. Usually it wouldn't hurt. I land a good blow on his shoulder, but I don't back off quick enough and he picks me up and throws me down. I crack my head against the ground. I briefly see stars, but I roll away to avoid his next move. He's gotten pretty quick. I'm impressed. "This is going to end up being a match of stamina. You're going to deem me troublesome and concede."

"Not on your life." He says and I can see that he's not tired yet. "I'd never hear the end of it if I didn't see this all the way through."

"While that's true, I don't want you to end up too exhausted to defend yourself when my brother decides that you're a bully." I say with a smirk. "That's my secret weapon. Sasuke."

"As cute as your intimidation tactics are, we're in the middle of a fight." He says and I laugh, dancing out of the way of his attack. "Don't think I don't know that's your tactic. You try to embarrass your opponent to give yourself an edge since you're so puny."

"You shouldn't have said that." I say and then I'm fighting seriously. He's on defense now and he's struggling to keep up.

"We need help!" A girl screams. She sounds hysterical. One minute Shikamaru is blocking my attack and the next I'm turning and running towards the sound of the voice. Kenta-sensei and Sasuke are following. I find her on the next training field over. There's a shinobi who's about Shikaku's age on the ground with a spear sticking out of his gut. "You have to help! I didn't mean to!"

"You need to calm down and tell us what happened." Kenta-sensei says, immediately taking control of the situation. I'm on my knees beside the man, checking him over. He's alive.

"Dad was training me and we were working on…and he didn't move. I thought he would move." The girl sobs.

"There's something else going on here, but right now we need to get this spear out of him and I need to take care of the internal damage." I say and then I look to Sasuke. "Run to the hospital and let them know that he's on his way. It's a code three. They'll know what to prepare for."

"Right." He says and then he takes off. I open my med kit and take out the surgical scissors. I cut away the fabric before I dump rubbing alcohol around the wound. I need it as clean as possible. Asuma-sensei is couched beside me.

"On my count, I need you to pull this straight out." I say and he nods and gets into position. I form the seals I need for extra focus in my technique. "One, two, three. Now." Asuma-sensei pulls the spear straight out and the man gasps. My hands glow green as I begin to knit his insides back together. "Something's not right…" I then detect the poison. His stomach is in good condition now. I reach into my kit and pull out the scalpel. Using chakra, I guide the poison to a relatively safe point on his body before I make a small incision and pull it out. I flick it away before I go back to the stomach and check on things there. I'm beginning to run low on chakra, but there's still some really bad internal bleeding. "Okay, I can't do anymore. Hurry and get him to the hospital."

"Look after her." Kenta-sensei says to Asuma-sensei as he picks up the man and takes off. He's seen me get like this before. Apparently Kurenai-sensei has come over to look after the girl, Asuma is watching me carefully.

"I'm fine." I say as I clean the scalpel and my scissors with rubbing alcohol. I dry them with some gauze before I replace them in my kit. I put it back into my pouch. "I'm working on mastering a technique that is using up half of my normal chakra reserves and so that's why I'm so drained right now."

"Mind explaining how you can do medical ninjutsu on that little chakra?" He asks and I grin up at him.

"I'm one hundred percent efficient with my chakra use." This is the first time I've said it out loud. "Can we go back, Shikamaru probably wet his pants with fear at how quickly I changed objectives."

"Yeah, that's fine." He says and then he helps me stand up. "Are you going to be okay to walk?"

"I'm fine." I say and Kurenai-sensei smiles before she starts walking with the girl. Asuma-sensei and I walk back to the training field that we had been using. Neji and Lee are sparring now. "Sorry Kakashi-sensei, Sasuke should be back soon. I used him as my errand boy."

"Minako Uchiha, if you ever scare me like that again." Ino growls, pulling on my arm. I groan, stumbling.

"Stop picking on me. I just saved a man's life." I say and her eyes widen. "A training accident. He took a poisoned spear in the….hold on one fucking minute. Why the fuck was she using poison in a training situation?" I turn and begin walking, Asuma-sensei puts a hand on my shoulder to stop me. "She could've killed him."

"It could also be the sort of situation where he's teaching her to build up a tolerance. Maybe it was his spear." He says and I do my best to look unimpressed.

"Fucking idiots. All shinobi are idiots who take unnecessary risks." I say, crossing my arms across my chest. "All these medical journals I read. Now I understand why all medical shinobi are cynical assholes."

"You fit right in." Izanagi says and my lip twitches as I suppress a laugh. "You fit in with everybody."

"Speaking specifically of fucking idiots taking unnecessary risks." Junichi says and I glower at them. "All I'm saying is that if I got paid every time I thought 'oh my god, there she goes again', I'd be a wealthy man."

"Don't worry boys, I'm working on a technique that will make you not worry even if normally you would have reason to worry. Minako will take care of everything." I say and Shikamaru sniffs. He looks mad.

"If that's the case then we all have even more reason to worry." He says and I sigh as I plop down beside him.

"Don't be grumpy, you technically won our match." I say and he regards me dryly. "Why are you so grumpy?" The excitement has died down…or they've just decided to give us time to talk.

"I'm not being grumpy with you." He says and I smile at his use of the word. "I'm mad at myself."

"Eh, I know you're kind of a dick sometimes but that's nothing to beat yourself up over. After Lee and Neji are done, do you want to finish our fight?" I ask and he regards me dryly again. "What? You might have a chance of beating me now."

"You're exhausted, I'd never take advantage of that." He says and I smile a little. I jump a little as Sasuke plops down beside me.

"You're out of chakra." He says and I lean my head against his shoulder. "What's going on?"

"The Strength of a Hundred seal. The thing that I talked with Kenta-sensei about six thousand years ago when we were training for the finals." I say and he looks down at me. I don't look up. Guy-sensei calls the spar…it's a draw.

"Shikamaru. Let's go." Sasuke says and then he stands up. I nearly fall over. I kick his butt.

"What a drag." My best friend says as he stands up. I look to Kakashi-sensei who seems intrigued by the idea. I feel a tickle on the back of my neck then. I touch the base of my neck and feel a wetness. I bring my hand in front of my face and raise my eyebrows. Blood. I'd better not bring attention to it. If it's not bleeding too badly it's not a bad wound. And I would know if I were concussed. The two boys move to the center of the field and I wipe my hand on the grass before I stand up and move closer. I have a bad feeling about this. They're fighting now and it's intense…Shikamaru is fighting even harder than he did when we were sparring. This isn't a spar anymore.

"Sensei." I say, not really caring who pays close enough attention to stop them if it comes to deadly blows. Tension is filling the air. I feel a hand slip into mine and a hand on my shoulder. Sakura and Ino.

"What the Hell?" Kiba asks and I shrug a little, not knowing why they're both so…agitated. I mean Sasuke kind of makes sense because of my fight with Shikamaru…but normally Shikamaru would just ignore Sasuke's agitation. That's how he's gone throughout our entire friendship. Why aren't they stopping them? I see when it's about to go too far and thankfully so do our teachers. Kakashi-sensei is holding back Sasuke and Asuma-sensei has a hand on Shikamaru's shoulder which he tries to shrug off.

"You were supposed to protect her!" Sasuke shouts and I feel my eyebrows furrow together. He's fighting against Kakashi-sensei who appears bored.

"You go on a mission with your sister when she's been confined to the village and try to tell her what to do. Tell me that's not like trying to herd cats. What happened is something that neither of us could have predicted. You're being ridiculous." Shikamaru is more calm now.

"I trusted you and you let her get hurt." Sasuke says, venom dripping from his tone. Wait a minute…Who the fuck told Sasuke about the missing-nin?

"She's more than capable of taking care of herself. She carved out his kidney while in a panic. I think that's pretty damn impressive." Shikamaru responds. "His kidney was literally laying on the ground at her feet."

"Can we stop talking about this." It isn't a question. Both boys look over at me. Sasuke is still very angry. "Before I shove my fucking fist through your skull."

"There's our girl." Izanagi says, trying to ease the very obvious tension. I'm very grateful for his attempts, but I'm really angry now. I'm also somewhat embarrassed. I feel everyone's eyes on me.

"You have to cause a big dramatic scene in the middle of training? Really Sasuke? You're not an amateur. If you had a problem, then the three of us could have discussed this in private. But you had to go and piss me off." I say and his look finally changes. I didn't want anyone else to know about what happened. Who on Earth told him? Because Shikamaru promised that he'd let me tell him. "Who even told you?"

"Kakashi did." He says and I raise my eyebrows, looking to the man. I seriously consider punching his damn face in. He knows just how riled up Sasuke gets concerning me. How did he even hear about it? The only people who knew were those who were there, Itachi, Lady Tsunade, and Kenta-sensei. My sensei told me that I should tell him…and of course I planned on it at one point or another. But with how stressful things have been with adjusting to working with Junichi and Izanagi, I've been putting it off. So wait…that fucking asshole Kenta Miyamoto told Kakashi-sensei to tell Sasuke on my behalf because I wasn't moving fast enough for him. The field is cleared of the testosterone driven fuck heads and another spar is started. Hinata against Izanagi. I'm shaking with my anger. "Mina…" Sasuke goes to take my hand and I pull back.

"Don't. I'm really angry right now and it's best if you just don't." I say and he nods, very serious. I can't help the dirty look I give Kakashi-sensei…I really can't. "And Kenta has nothing over you. Why on Earth would you listen to a thing he says? I know he's annoying."

"Who's annoying?" Kenta asks as he returns. Shikamaru puts a hand on my shoulder. I realize that I shifted into a fighting stance.

"You are my sensei and when it comes to matters of my training or missions, then it is fine for you to interfere. You have no right to interfere in my personal family matters." I say and I can feel the curiosity burning off of everyone who doesn't know. Well…Asuma-sensei probably doesn't care all that much. Neither do Guy-sensei or Neji…but I can sense it coming from everyone else. Nobody needs to know that I was weak.

"Mina, you're bleeding." Shikamaru says and my hand goes to the back of my neck again.

"Here, let me help." Sakura says, breaking into the tension. She gently takes my hand and leads me off to the side. We're a pretty good ways away from everyone else. "You don't have to tell me what happened…and I know that you and I aren't as close as you and Ino are, but I am always willing to listen. I mean, we both have to get the crud beaten out of us by Lady Tsunade, and so I think it's only appropriate." She's checking me over now. "You're a little concussed…I'm reducing the swelling and closing the small wound." That is around where she should be.

"I'll keep that in mind. Thank you." I say softly and then as she finishes I pull my hair into a bun. "You don't have to sit with me, but I think I'm going to watch from here."

"I'll stay." She says and then she smiles as Ino comes over and plops down on my other side.

"Boys are nothing but trouble." She says with a shake of her head. "Even though one of them is your brother, I wish I had boys fighting over me."

"Please, they're both my brothers for all intents and purposes." I say but that's not really how I feel. Shikamaru just treats me like a sister. The only other way that him sleeping beside me wouldn't be weird is if there were a romantic feeling behind it, which I'm sure that there isn't. He likes Temari. That much became clear through our mission.

"So you carved a man's kidney out?" Sakura asks and I laugh. I mean, that is something to be curious about.

"And I didn't even realize it until after the fact. I just kind of stabbed and that was the outcome. I was angry and so I may have been a bit more brutal than I normally would be." I say and she shakes her head. "What?"

"You're so calm about it. I don't know if I would be able to be." She says and I feel the change in my expression.

"The way I look at it…If it is between me coming home to my brother and to my friends and my opponent taking my life, then I am fine with doing what it takes to come home." I say and her eyes are very serious now.

"Yeah, you should've seen it when we were chasing after Sasuke." Kiba says as he flops down. Akamaru yips. "I've always known that Minako was an intense person, but she's brutal."

"What do you mean?" Sakura asks, her head tilting to the side. I wonder if he's talking about the guy I stabbed in the throat or my dragon fire jutsu.

"Imagine it. We're all stuck in this creepy guy's webbing. Here comes Minako throwing freakin' kunai and then using them to stay in the air before she throws kunai with wire attached to them. He thought she missed and then she nearly melted his freakin' face off." He says and I chuckle.

"I mean, we all knew that I was hot." I say and he groans at my terrible joke. I'm glad that things have drifted away from the dramatic display by Shikamaru and Sasuke. "Go on and admit it, Kiba. You're both attracted to me and intimidated by me."

"Maybe." He says with a smirk and I roll my eyes. "Come on, Minako. Go on a date with me." I hear as Lee begins training right where he stands…he's very serious about trying to win my affections and I guess all of this talk even though people are still assuming that Shikamaru and I are together. It's not like I've ever even outright said that I was seeing Shikamaru. I literally just said that I was seeing someone.

"In your dreams, Dog Boy." I say and he holds his heart like he's wounded. Ino gives me a sinister look.

"Besides, everyone knows that Shikamaru's got dibs." She says and I roll my eyes again. "Not that Minako will ever belong to anyone anyhow."

"Yeah, it'll be more like she'll tolerate their presence a little more than everyone else's." Sakura says and I laugh.

"You guys forget that he'll have to be able to tolerate me too. Ask Sasuke about how pleasant I am to live with." I say and my brother shakes his head.

"That's different. You're his sister." Ino says and I shake my own head. "I guess there's always the possibility that we'll work out as well."

"Ino, there will always be a special place in my heart for you." I say, making a heart with my fingers.

"So wait, you're interested in girls too?" Tenten asks, tilting her head to the side. Oh yeah, they've never seen this either.

"Nah, Minako and I just have a special relationship." Ino says, leaning against my shoulder. "She thinks it's funny to try and embarrass me."

"I compliment all women because I don't believe that I'm in competition with anyone." I say and Ino mutters something. I move quickly and put her in a headlock. "What was that, dear?"

"Because you ARE the competition. Nobody could possibly keep up with your looks AND your skills. You are a superior breed of girl." She says and I roll my eyes. "Just because you try to hide that cute little figure of yours!"

"Now who's trying to embarrass who?" I ask and she laughs. "And how can I be the competition if I don't care?"

"Fair point." She allows and I let go of her. "Whoever ultimately wins your heart will have a lot of work to do. Good thing you're the only thing Shikamaru actually works for."

"You talk too much." I say dryly. She's absolutely wrong about that…he has been working really hard on the chunin exams. And if anything that's probably for Temari.

* * *

 _I'm walking through the forest…it's very familiar. Obviously I'm near the southern wall of the village. It's night and the air is still…entirely too still to be of any comfort to me._

 _"Minako, this way." Mother says and I don't question it. I begin following her familiar form. "It's going to be a bit different this time."_

 _"Are you really you or is this just my mind coming up with things?" I ask and she offers a sad smile._

 _"It really is me, Sweetheart. I wish that I could actually be here to guide you through all of this. But we need to hurry, you don't have very much time." She says, taking my hand and pulling me along a little faster. "This time it is Junichi and Izanagi." My blood runs like ice through my veins. "Don't worry…I know that you are strong enough to save them. After all, you did save Shikamaru."_

 _"I almost got Naruto killed in the process." I say dryly and she rolls her eyes at me. "What's going to happen that puts Jun and Iza in danger?"_

 _"You're going to be investigating a hideout with them. Shikamaru and his squad will be there too." She explains and I sigh. "It's going to be different this time because Orochimaru will most likely be there." I hear the sounds of blades clashing and I begin to run. Mother keeps up with me. I take in the scene around me. Team Asuma is trying to utilize their family techniques and my boys are just fighting like hell…like we always do. I see him then._

 _"Well, well…if it isn't my least favorite Uchiha brat." Orochimaru says, a sinister smile creeping upon his face._

 _"Minako! Get out of here!" Kenta-sensei shouts, but I don't listen. I fall into a ready stance. "You can't kill him!"_

 _"That's not what I'm trying to do." I say to my sensei. Then I see my boys moving…no…this is how it will happen…._

* * *

"Jun! No!" I scream, bolting upright in my bed. I hear a crash and then running feet. My door bursts open and Sasuke is standing there with a kunai in hand and wild eyes. "Just a bad dream, I'm sorry." I pull my knees to my chest and rest my forehead against them. At least it's morning. There's a knock on our front door.

"I'll go and get it." He says and then he leaves my doorway. I hear the lock slide out of place and then he opens the door. "Shikamaru?"

"I came to get Minako. We have a mission." He says and my veins freeze up. I jump out of bed and hurriedly get ready. I grab my mission pack and head straight out. "Hey, wait up!" I'm half-way down the road.

"I have to stop this mission." I say and he grabs my wrist. "We need to go now. I need to talk to Tsunade."

"Then let's go." He says, taking me very seriously after getting a good look at my face. We take off, traveling through the village by rooftop. "What has you so spooked?"

"I don't know if I can tell you." I say softly. We arrive at the Hokage tower and I head up the stairs at a quick pace. I don't knock, I head straight in. Everyone else is already here though. "We can't take this mission. The danger is too great."

"How do you even know what sort of mission it is?" Lady Tsunade asks, regarding me impatiently.

"We're being sent to check out a hideout aren't we? If we go there, Orochimaru will be there and people will die. You would be an absolute idiot to send two jonin, two chunin, and four genin. You're sending us straight to our deaths." I say and Kenta-sensei puts a hand on my shoulder. I'm trying to control my shaking…I really am.

"How do you know that he'll be there?" She asks and I keep eye contact with her as I think. Is this a good time?

"I don't know how exactly to explain it. But sometimes I get these feelings and they turn out to be right. Call it intuition, whatever you like, but sending us there. Sending me there, is a really dumb idea. I don't need to stress the importance of protecting my Sharingan." I say and she looks thoughtful. "If I weren't absolutely certain, I wouldn't have said anything. Lady Tsunade, what happened to you trusting me?"

"Shut up, Brat. I'm thinking." She says and then she sighs. "What makes you think the Sharingan is in danger?"

"Because apparently word has gotten around about my face off with Itachi and how he couldn't touch me with the Mangekyo Sharingan." I say, thinking back to what I heard the last time I was in the Sand Village. "Technically that could make me stronger than Sasuke which would probably be pretty desirable to Orochimaru since he probably doesn't care what sort of body he gets so long as it's powerful."

"I hear you." She says and I squeeze my hands into fists to try and stop the shaking even more. My fear hasn't subsided. "Okay, I'll figure something else out." Why am I still so afraid? "Perhaps you can use this time to train some more for the chunin exams."

"What an excellent idea, Milady." Kenta-sensei says and then he pats me on top of my head.

"Alright. Minako, you stay but the rest of you are free to go." She says and Junichi gives me a meaningful look before he files out of the office with everyone else. "Shikamaru?" I look over and see my best friend still standing there.

"Go ahead, I'll catch up with you." I say, trying to muster a reassuring smile. He's very obviously not convinced, but he goes. The door closes behind him. "I'm sorry for calling you an idiot."

"Fear makes you do stupid things." She says dryly and I realize that I'm still shaking. I need to stop. "What happened?"

"I…have these dreams." I say and she raises an eyebrow. "Well…I've only ever had one other dream…but my mother walks me through and tells me who I have to save. The first time I dreamt like that I saw Orochimaru giving my brother the curse mark and then I saw myself fighting Sasuke and then Shikamaru dying to save me. She told me that there were several people who I would save in my lifetime and Shikamaru was the first. Izanagi and Junichi were featured in my last dream." She isn't looking at me like I'm crazy, so that's a plus. "I know that I can't possibly defeat Orochimaru and so the only way to save Junichi and Izanagi was to prevent us from going on the mission. Or at least that's what I came up with on the way over."

"It's interesting…" She says and then she finds a scroll from her desk. "Mikoto Uchiha was pretty skilled with seals…and so it's not unreasonable to assume that she may have sealed away part of her soul." Why does she have information on my mother on hand like that? "And I suppose the spirit world might offer foresight…but how…"

"That's a great question." I say softly. "Since the first time I realized that it wasn't just a weird dream…that it was real, I began looking into stuff like this. I can't explain it…"

"Alright. Just let me know if you have any more dreams like that." She says and then she narrows her eyes at me. "The only reason I believe you is because there is no possible way that you could've known what I was going to send you to do."

"I'll keep you posted." I say and then I let out a breath. "Now I see why Mr. Nakajima drinks all the time."

"Yeah? You're young. It only goes downhill from there." She says with a slight smirk on her face. "But you're also my student. Speaking of which. How is your reserve seal?"

"Well…" I say and then I lift my shirt to reveal the purple rhombus above my belly button.

"I'll be damned…you actually did it." She says and I shrug. "That was only a year and a half."

"To be fair, I've been studying it since before I even met you." I say and she offers a fair enough look. "So what's this mean for my training with you?"

"Not quite yet, but I'll start teaching you some of the medical techniques I've associated with that seal." She says and then she stands up. "You're dismissed…I'm going to try and find some more information on your mother's seal work."

"Thank you." I say, bowing my head before I head out. I push my senses out and find Shikamaru's chakra signature with Shikaku's. I head that way and knock on the door.

"Come in." Shikaku says and I enter with a smile. "Shikamaru tells me that you just called the Hokage an idiot…"

"We have a special sort of relationship." I say with a shrug. "As you can see, I lived to tell the tale. If you guys were busy I can go ahead."

"No, it's fine." Shikamaru says and then he picks his pack up. "I'll see you at home." His father nods and I smile at the man before I step out of the office. Shikamaru follows me and I nonchalantly lead the way out of the tower. I don't address the elephant in the room. "What was that?"

"That, dear boy, was panic. It's been taken care of, though. So we don't need to talk about it." I say and he makes an agitated noise.

"What am I going to do with you?" He asks and I look over my shoulder, raising an eyebrow at him.

"Well keep me, I hope. I know I'm troublesome, but you're pretty invested now." I say and my favorite smile graces his lips. "I'd better get home so that Sasuke doesn't continue to freak out. I know I scared him when I left."

"I'll walk you." He says and then we're headed towards my apartment. Kenta-sensei falls into step with us.

"Care to explain what the hell that was?" He asks and I glower up at him. "You don't disrespect the Hokage for no good reason."

"I explained it." I say and he gives me a look. "I explained it as well as I could. She's doing research now. I'll keep you as updated as she'll let me."

"I guess I have to accept that." He says and then he sighs. "You're giving me gray hair, kid."

"Trust me, if I could have a normal life I would embrace it whole-heartedly." I say with a sigh. "Sensei…what should I do?"

"Do your best to prepare for whatever life throws at you. If you can't predict what it's going to throw, prepare for everything." He says and I nod. "You've got a good start, so stay vigilant." I nod again. "I've got to go and do a thing."

"Okay…I'll see you at team training tomorrow." I say and he pats me on the head before he disappears.

"That was interesting." Shikamaru says and I raise an eyebrow in question. "You actually asking someone for advice."

"He's the reason I am who I am today. I wouldn't be where I am if he hadn't believed in me." I say and his serious expression softens a bit.

"I don't know if I agree with that one hundred percent, but I do agree that he's done some good for you." He says and I chuckle. "Though Lady Tsunade makes him look like a marshmallow."

"Lady Tsunade makes everyone look like a marshmallow." I say with a laugh. "Though she's surprisingly gentle sometimes. Some of my training has included emotional bull shit and she's delicate with that kind of stuff."

"I'm glad." He says and I make a face. "What? You're the one who took us into sappy territory. You know I'm not afraid of that with you."

"I guess you're right. I can't count the sleepless nights that you made not so bad." I say and he shrugs. I lean my head against his shoulder. "Thanks…for putting up with me."

"Shikamaru Nara!" Lee exclaims as he lands in front of us. "I would like to take this opportunity to challenge you to a test of skills!"

"How very youthful, Lee!" Guy-sensei exclaims and I'm brought back to the one time I was around when he challenged Kakashi-sensei.

"As much as I'd love to accept your challenge, I've got to make sure Minako makes it home alright. She didn't sleep very well last night." Shikamaru says and I suppress my smirk.

"You are afraid that you will lose." Lee says with a confident nod. "Let it be known that Shikamaru Nara is a coward!"

"I wouldn't go so far as to say that, buddy." Shikamaru's demeanor is pretty different now. "Name your challenge."

"Seeing as though my speed is far superior, I will not challenge you to a race. A gentleman would not take advantage of his rival's weaknesses. That would be shameful. No, I believe that we should have an arm wrestling match!" Lee proclaims and I raise my eyebrows.

"Alright." Shikamaru responds and then Asuma-sensei is there. "When and where?" I look up at the man, both eyebrows raised.

"If you will follow me we will get this out of the way now." Lee says and the four of us follow Lee. Guy-sensei is going on about youth and love and a bunch of stuff.

"Asuma-sensei…" I say, looking up at the man. "I fear that all of the work Shikamaru's been doing on the chunin exams has caused him to lose his mind. I think we should talk to Shikaku."

"We'll see what happens." The man says and I nod, regarding the two teenagers before me now. The table they plan to hold this contest on is tall, so they're standing.

"Alright gentlemen! This is to be a fair contest! Cheating will not be tolerated and will be dealt with swiftly! Got it!?" Guy-sensei says, looking between the two of them with shifty eyes.

"Let's just get this over with." Shikamaru says and Lee gives a confident smile. Guy-sensei looks between one more time.

"Begin!" He declares and it begins. Lee is very clearly shocked when he's met with so much resistance.

"I think that Lee underestimated Minako's strength, Guy." Asuma-sensei notes and Guy-sensei appears thoughtful.

"I will not lose!" Lee exclaims and Shikamaru has a slight smirk plastered across his face. I don't even know why he's entertaining this challenge. This is actually kind of…upsetting.

"Stop." I say, shaking my head. "I'm not going to let you compete for my affections like I'm some prize because I'm not. If you feel like you have to prove yourself to me, which you don't, then arm wrestle me." Both boys look shocked.

"I did not mean to insult you." Lee says and I know that he's sincere…he's never insincere which is something that will be good for whoever does fall in love with him. "If that is what you wish, then I will compete against you." I walk over and bump Shikamaru out of the way with my hip.

"I'm ambidextrous, but left is my preferred. I know he's no slouch, so you can use your fresh arm." I say and he nods. We get ready. "It will be interesting to see Guy-sensei's strength training against Lady Tsunade's. It's not all flashy chakra control, you know."

"I am looking forward to this match, Minako." Lee says and I smile. He takes my hand and I maintain eye contact with him.

"Alright. Lee, remember it is dishonorable to go easy on an opponent." Guy-sensei says and then I feel a hand on my shoulder. I look up and see Asuma-sensei nodding at me. He's got a proud sort of smile on his face.

"I'll try and embrace my inner Kenta Miyamoto as bet as I can." He says and I attempt to keep a straight face. "Don't fuck up." I laugh.

"You sound just like him." I say and then I turn my attention back to Lee. His gaze is intense.

"Go!" Guy-sensei says and I'm immediately met with resistance. My arm isn't shaking which is nice. In all of training with Kenta-sensei on facing people who are stronger than me, I've learned that it's all in your stance.

"I never noticed how soft your hands are. It is surprising with the amount of talent that you have." Lee says in a conversational tone.

"I thrive off of being surprising. It certainly isn't sleep." I say with a slight smile. He can't actually feel my hand, he's probably just noting the lack of callouses. I'm starting to feel the burn in my bicep. "You'll also be surprised to know that I am not enforcing my muscles with chakra like a lot of kunoichi that I know."

"That is surprising, because I am actually beginning to feel the burn in my arm." Lee says and he seems to be pleased by that. "You certainly are a formidable opponent."

"That's the idea." I say and then I raise my eyebrows as I gain some ground. "We could be here all day because neither of us are in the business of giving up."

"That is one of the many things that I admire about you." He says, trying to gain back the ground he'd lost. My arm is shaking a little bit now, but so is his. "It is also that tendency that I owe my progress as a shinobi to. I will never be able to repay you for that."

"I didn't do that much. All I did was take some notes." I say and it's the truth…they may have been pretty handy, but it wasn't like I performed the surgery myself. I was in the room, however. He regains the ground and then takes some himself. I carefully shift my stance and we're back where we started. I'm actually beginning to feel it in my abdominal muscles. I gain some more ground but then my arm gives and Lee wins. I smile. "A fair victory. Now I really need to get home. I left in a rush this morning and so I know that Sasuke is really worried about me."

"Right." Lee says with a nod, releasing my hand. "It was an honor to compete against you, Minako."

"The same to you, Lee." I say, bowing my head politely. "I'll see you around. It was nice seeing you again, Guy-sensei. Asuma-sensei…please try not to go to too dark of a place after embracing Kenta-sensei."

"I'll do my best." He says and I smile before I begin walking. Shikamaru falls into step with me. When we're far enough away I glower at him.

"What was that?" I ask and he shrugs. Our walk is very quiet…it's not awkward, but it is a little uncomfortable. What is going on with us?

* * *

Sasuke brings the tray into my room and sets it down on the nightstand. I regard it with worried eyes.

"It's the stuff Shikamaru's mom sent over. I didn't cook." He says and I let out a sigh of relief. He rolls his eyes before he sits down on the edge of my bed. "Told you that you would get sick."

"No this is because of exhaustion and then being in the rain. This has nothing to do with walking around with wet hair after the shower." I say and then I sneeze. He grabs the soup and feeds me a spoonful. It's nice.

"I hate when you're sick." He says and I roll my eyes. This is maybe the third time ever. I never get sick. "But I've got to get ready to go…Izanagi said he'd come check on you later."

"Go, I'll be fine. This would be a totally lame way to die." I say and he rolls his eyes. "If I get too bad while you're gone, I'll ask someone for help. I promise." I hold out my arms to him. He hugs me. "Don't be so anxious."

"I'll try. I should be back towards the middle of next week." He says and I nod. He's already told me this. "Love you, Mina."

"Love you too." I say, ruffling his hair…and then he leaves and I'm left to my own devices. I sit up and sit cross-legged. I pick up the bowl of soup and eat some more. There's a knock on the door. I bring the bowl with me to the door and I open it. It's Yoshino and Shikamaru. "Oh, hello. Come on in. Sorry it's a bit messy." I step back and they walk in…both carrying a pot.

"This isn't messy." Shikamaru says with a roll of his eyes. "You've never seen Choji's room." I toss a light-hearted glare at him as I lead the way to the kitchen. I groan. Sasuke is so messy.

"There may still be time to catch up and kill him." I say as I set my bowl down and grab the rag from the sink. Yoshino takes it from me.

"Go and get yourself set up nice and cozy and I'll tidy up in here." She says and I look at her. "Shikamaru, help her. Scoot." I don't argue…she's as stubborn as me. I go to my room and grab my pillows and blankets. I create a nest on the couch and I settle into it. Shikamaru feels my forehead. "Fever?"

"A bit." He says and then he goes and grabs my bowl. "Izanagi and Junichi had to go on an emergency mission. He asked me to check on you and Mom had more soup for you…so…"

"I appreciate it." I say with a small smile. "But Yoshino, you don't have to tidy up. I can handle it when I feel a little better."

"Nonsense, I'm here and so I can do it. Can you tell me where a bowl would be? Also a cloth for your forehead." She asks and Shikamaru walks over and gets the things for her.

"Why was that on the top shelf? Is Sasuke being rude again?" He asks and I snicker…which turns into a cough.

"I intentionally turned his underwear pink because of reasons and so he's been making things inconvenient for me. I guess he forgot to get it down before he left." I explain, pulling my blanket around my shoulders. "I told him if it was such a problem that he could do his own laundry…he didn't like that idea either."

"That's teenage boys, dear." Yoshino says and I laugh before I eat some more soup. I hear the sound of water running. "Shikamaru tells me you had a pretty close call last week."

"Yeah...Izanagi got distracted and almost took a spear through the heart, so I took it through the shoulder instead. Lots of blood. Lots of panic. Everything was under control. You'd think being the medic, they'd know that if I'm not worried then they shouldn't be." I shake my head. "I'm just happy it didn't scar."

"Heaven knows you've got plenty of little ones." She says and I shrug. "Those who love you will worry even when the medic says it will be fine…some more than others."

"Alright, Mom." Shikamaru says, coming back and placing a cool cloth on my forehead. He then takes my empty bowl to the kitchen. "Need anything else?"

"Tea would be good." Yoshino says and then I hear the sounds of someone preparing tea. I can't help but laugh a little.

"Sasuke does an alright job taking care of me, but I feel like I'm being spoiled right now." I say and then I yawn. "The most I get is a cup of tea and he just sits there looking terribly worried."

"From what I've observed, you two are very watchful of each other." Yoshino says and I hum. "How is he?"

"He was good when he left…worried about me, but he's happy because he's getting better with this technique that he learned recently." I say, letting my eyes fall closed. "I'm proud of him."

* * *

 _"Minako! You have to hurry!" Sakura exclaims and I jump up from the bench that I'm sitting on and run with her. When she stops I fall to my knees. Sasuke is on the ground with a huge sword sticking out of him. "Hurry!" I push off of the ground, lunging at my brother. I begin checking him over immediately._

 _"When I say so, remove the sword. Okay?" I say in a shaky voice and she nods, eyes full of determination. I take a deep breath. "Go!" She pulls the sword out and Sasuke screams. I immediately start healing. Sakura is with me, her hands glowing strong just like mine. "Sasuke, when's my birthday?"_

 _"Don't be dumb." He says through gritted teeth. "I'm going to be fine, just watch your chakra."_

 _"Don't worry about my chakra." I say, still trying to get everything to go back together. "You're not allowed to die, alright?"_

 _"Yes, Mina." He says dutifully before he closes his eyes. I nudge him with my elbow, eyes closed is bad._

 _"You keep those peepers open. Stare at Sakura's butt if you have to." I say, trying to work faster. Why am I always trying to use humor to ease tense situations? I need to stay focused._

 _"Shikamaru!" Sakura gasps and I look over my shoulder. He looks like a pin cushion. "Minako, I can handle the rest of Sasuke. Go to him." I look to my brother._

 _"I feel better already, go." He says and I kiss his forehead before I run over to Shikamaru. I help him lay down on the ground and I get to work on healing him. My chakra is depleting rapidly. I detect the poison immediately. I locate the point of entry and begin the process of extracting the poison. I cut away the leg of his pants and I make an incision before I start sucking the poison out. I take a mouthful of blood, spit out, repeat. I check to make sure I got all of it out before I wipe my hands off on my skirt and grab one of his family's salves from my pouch and rub some of that onto the incision before I bandage. I get to work healing the rest of his wounds…the bad ones anyway. I can't do everything. I'll die._

 _"Minako…I need help." Sakura says and I feel the panic rising in the pit of my stomach. I do a quick check of Shikamaru. He's going to be okay. I run back over to Sasuke and I let out a startled cry at just how pale he is. No Minako, stay calm. "I don't have any more chakra." I nod and make the hand seals before I release my Strength of a Hundred seal. The black lines crawl all over my body as I begin to heal my brother at an accelerated rate. It's starting to look better. Ino runs up then._

 _"Check on Shikamaru!" I call and she immediately runs over to him. "I had to get poison out of him the old fashioned way, make sure that incision is in good condition. Also the mark on his neck was disconcerting." Then I see Izanagi carrying Junichi. Sasuke is okay now…unconscious but okay. I run over to Junichi and immediately begin analyzing his injuries. Chakra exhaustion on top of a bad chest wound. I cut his shirt away so that I can see and I get to work. Ino comes over to assist. That's when I get the feeling….Orochimaru. I'm on my feet, tanto drawn._

 _"Minako and Sasuke Uchiha…both in such a weak condition that you'll be easy to take." He says in his voice that makes my skin crawl._

 _"You're not going to lay a hand on him." I growl and he laughs, throwing his head back. I run at him, making my hand seals. "Fire style! Phoenix flower jutsu!" I follow behind the projectiles, slashing with my tanto. He just continues laughing._

 _"It is easy to see who has more fight in them. Your brother is a weakling compared to you! And you don't have a curse mark!" He exclaims and I backflip away._

 _"Fire style! Dragon fire jutsu!" I yell before I create the huge fireball…that almost looks more like a sun than anything. It engulfs the man and he screams as he burns. I chase after the flame and savagely stab him. For good measure, I bring the tanto down in a clean arc and sever his head. I kick it away with a yell._

 _"Minako…" Ino says slowly and I sheathe my tanto before I turn to her. She has tears in her eyes. "They're all gone…."_

 _"But they were fine…" I say and then I see all of their bodies charred…I see Sakura laying over Sasuke's body…she's dead too. Shikamaru is still on fire. I never told him that I loved him... This is….this was my fault. I fall to my knees. I killed them. I saved them, but then I killed them. The anger bubbles in my chest and it escapes in the form of a scream that turns into a strangled sob._

* * *

"Minako!" Shikamaru yells and I gasp as I sit up. My eyes dance around frantically, searching for the threat to eliminate. But I'm at home. Not in a field. Shikamaru is obviously alive. "It was just a dream."

"Shit." I say, putting my head in my hands. Tears fall through my careful defenses. I know that it was a dream…but it felt real. Shikamaru rubs soothing circles on my back. "It was…Sakura came and got me because Sasuke was injured badly…and so I was healing him and then you showed up really injured and so I had to heal you. Sasuke got bad again, so I had to release my seal... Then Junichi was hurt….then Orochimaru showed up and I killed him. But in killing him I killed everyone but Ino and…"

"It's okay." He says, making me lean my head against his chest. I feel secure… "It was just a dream."

"I just never got to tell you…" I start and then I stop myself. "How much you meant to me." Smooth. "So in advance for if I ever accidentally kill you…you mean so much to me, Shikamaru. I hope you know that."

"Screaming like that, I can imagine so." He says and I sit back. He feels my forehead before he gets up and goes to the kitchen. "Your fever isn't any better."

"Fever dreams are a bitch." I say and he hums as he lays a cold cloth on my forehead. I hum at the nice feeling.

"Are you hungry?" He asks and I shake my head…dreaming of killing someone like that really put me off of any appetite I may have had.

"No…the way I killed Orochimaru in my dream was very brutal. I lit the bastard on fire with a fireball and then I stabbed him a lot….in various places. The most satisfying was when I stabbed him in the head….then I decapitated him for good measure." I say and then I shudder. "It was….interesting. I probably looked like a savage. But...I do wish that the part where I killed him was real."

"Minako, if Lady Tsunade was locked in a stalemate with him…" Shikamaru starts and I nod, frowning. "You're strong, but you've got a long way to go….but only when you get better."

"Of course." I say with a roll of my eyes. "Why'd you stay? It had to have been boring sitting there and watching me sleep."

"I've been working." He says with a smirk. "Though I have to admit…you said my name and I was concerned."

"Don't flatter yourself." I say with a roll of my eyes. "I don't have those sorts of dreams, I'm a lady."

"Alright." He says, but he can't wipe the smirk off of his face. "Do you need anything?" I shake my head.

"I know you've had at least two domestic-y dreams about me." I say and he regards me warily. "You thought I would forget? I have giggled very few times in my life. You're the weirdo."

"It's totally normal. You always talk about cooking and taking care of your apartment. Not my fault." He says and I raise an eyebrow at him.

"So there have been more times?" I ask and his eye twitches. "Don't worry…I have nice dreams where you're featured sometimes. I don't always kill you."

"Now I'm curious." He says and I chuckle, which causes me to cough. He gets up and goes to the kitchen. I raise an eyebrow but then understand as he comes back with a glass of water for me.

"Thanks." I say, taking a drink. "It's nothing weird…just happy memories that I have. It's a nice break."

"From the weird premonition type dreams you have and the nightmares." He says and I shrug. "What am I going to do with you?"

"Keep me I hope." I say and then I set the glass down on the coffee table. "You don't have to stay if you don't want to."

"It's fine. I'm worried about you." He says and I smile a little, settling back into my nest. "Let me know if you need something." I hum…letting my eyes fall closed again. I'm enjoying this a little too much.


	9. Where's Your Girlfriend?

**Welcome to the time skip! Where my ideas have been since chapter seven! It goes kind of fast, but overall, I'm pretty pleased with the outcome. Let me know what you think! Constructive criticism is always welcome!**

"Minako!" Someone shouts and I turn around to see Naruto running straight at me. "Hey! Minako!"

"Naruto!" I greet with a bright smile. "Wow, the past couple of years have been good to you! You've gotten so tall!"

"I know!" He exclaims proudly. "I just got back! Do you know where Sasuke and Sakura are?"

"Sakura was training with Lady Tsunade and Sasuke should be at the training grounds." I say and he grins. "You're going to be disappointed though…Sasuke got taller too."

"That asshole!" He yells and then he takes off after him. I chuckle before I continue heading towards the shopping district…then I see Shikamaru and Temari. I take a step back and run into someone.

"Oh! I'm sorry!" I gasp as I turn around. Then I realize it's just Kiba. "Oh thank god, get me out of here." I throw an arm around his neck and leap. He's a bit confused as he catches my legs.

"Well, who am I to argue?" He deposits me onto Akamaru's back before he climbs on behind me and we're off. "So what was that about?"

"Uh…I could come up with an excuse, but I'm feeling lazy so just roll with it." I say and he chuckles. Akamaru leaps across the street…we go right over Shikamaru and Temari. Avoidance achieved.

"You're avoiding him, why?" He asks and I turn my head to give him a withering look. "Hey, it's none of my business. That's good news for me." He winks.

"When did you become such a flirt?" I ask and he laughs. "Or is it only when you talk to me?"

"I get jealous because of how much you flirt with Ino." He says and I laugh. "And I could do worse than talkin' to a pretty girl like you. Anyway, where are we setting you down at?"

"You can set me down anywhere really. I was headed for the market to buy some groceries." I say and Akamaru barks before he heads in that direction. "You don't have to take me all the way."

"Eh, we've got a little while before we've got to meet up with the others. I figured I could be your body guard at the market." He says and I shake my head. Akamaru lands at the beginning of the street and I climb off, scratching him behind the ear. He kicks his leg and Kiba falls off. I laugh. "You're always so kind to your rescuer. I'll remember this next time you're avoiding Shikamaru."

"I'm not avoiding Shikamaru." I say and he regards me skeptically. "Oh shut up." I step into the butcher's shop. "Good afternoon, Mr. Tanaka."

"Minako! Just the young lady I was hoping to see today! I have your usual parceled and ready to go." He says and I smile brightly.

"Thank you so much." I say, handing over our normally agreed upon price. "How is your wife doing? Did that salve I gave you help any?"

"She's doing much better now." He says and I smile, glad that I was able to help. "You have a talent. If being a kunoichi doesn't work out for you."

"It's definitely a great back up plan. I'll see you next time!" I say and he nods and smiles. I head back out. I remove my folded up canvas bag from my pouch and deposit my parcels into it.

"I can carry that for you." Kiba says as he pushes off from the wall that he'd been leaning against.

"Okay." I say with a shrug, handing it over. "They mostly have things prepared for me, so it shouldn't take too long."

"We're not in a hurry." He says and I shrug again, beginning to walk down the street. The baker's apprentice runs up with my usual order.

"Miss Uchiha! The Old Man had to close for the day, but he sent me with your stuff." He says, holding it out to me.

"Oh, thanks Shinji. Here…and here's a little extra something for you. Take that girl from your class out for ice cream or something." I say with a wink as I hand over the money. He blushes.

"I-I'll do that! Have a great day!" He says before he runs off again. I put my bread into the bag and Kiba regards me skeptically.

"What? I've been buying my groceries from these people for eight years." I say, putting my hands on my hips. "If you're gonna judge me, you can carry on."

"I'm not judging you. It's just cute." He says and I roll my eyes. "Even when you make faces like that."

"I've been told I make young men have domestic thoughts." I say and he shrugs. "You'd wanna marry me, Kiba? You'd really want to put up with my sassy ass for the rest of your days? I can't even stand myself most days." I laugh.

"I can see us having a couple of pups." He says with a wink and I roll my eyes. We arrive at Mr. Kobayashi's vegetable stand.

"Minako! I was beginning to think that you'd taken your business elsewhere." The man says, folding his arms across his chest.

"Come on Mr. Kobayashi, you know I'd never buy from anyone else. Not unless I have absolutely no other choice." I put a hand over my heart.

"Yeah, yeah. So what kind of week is it?" He asks as he picks up one of the baskets used for his costumer's convenience.

"A heavy week. Sasuke and I are both home and training like crazy people." I say and he hums, picking out what I normally get. "You know I can do that myself."

"I also know that you broke your wrist just yesterday. You think you can hide these things from me?" He asks and I bend both wrists to show him that they work. "Just let an old man express concern for his favorite customer."

"Oh alright, only because you're being so sappy. Mr. Kobayashi, I'd like to introduce my friends Kiba and Akamaru." I say and he gives me a sly look. "Oh you're terrible."

"I'm only joking. It's nice to meet you Kiba and Akamaru. It's always nice to meet Minako's shinobi friends." He says with a friendly smile. He leads the way to the counter where he begins ringing everything up. I take out my money and he reaches over and takes a couple of bills. Our silent interaction leaves me glowering at him. "You're so adorable with your withering looks. It's the special birthday discount. You don't turn sixteen every day, you know."

"Yeah, well I feel about forty. Thank you though. I really appreciate it." I say and he smiles, patting me on top of my head. He hands over the bag, but holds it back as I reach for it. "Oh come on."

"Thank you." Kiba says, giving me a shit eating grin as he takes the bag from Mr. Kobayashi. "And I'll do my best to keep her from carrying this stuff, but I don't know if you realize just how violent she is."

"I'm sure I do. You should see her shopping with Sasuke." Mr. Kobayashi says and I shake my head at the memory of the last time I ever went shopping with my brother. "Stay safe, kids."

"Thank you, Mr. Kobayashi. And take care of yourself…you know where to find me if you ever need help. I know that your arthritis has been acting up. I hear stuff too." I say, tapping my nose.

"Yeah, yeah. Get out of here." He says and I smile before I lead the way out. Kiba shakes his head again.

"You're mean. I'm never taking you grocery shopping with me again." I say and he laughs.

"You love spending time with me though!" He exclaims and I roll my eyes. "Even if only because of Akamaru."

"He's definitely the reason I keep you around." I say and he sighs. "I mean…at least I do keep you around."

"You wound me deeply." He says and then Shino steps into our path. "Crap, I got the time wrong, didn't I?"

"Yeah." Shino says and then he looks between the two of us. "What were you even doing?"

"Minako was avoiding Shikamaru and so Akamaru and I decided to take her grocery shopping." He explains and I punch his shoulder.

"I wasn't avoiding him." I say and then I take my bags. "Go meet up with your team. Sorry for keeping him, Shino."

"That's alright." He says and then he adjusts his sunglasses. "But if you ever need someone to go grocery shopping with, as your friend I would be more than happy to."

"I'll keep that in mind, thank you." I say smiling. They leave then. I go to take a step and my body stops responding. "Let's see, I only know one person who enjoys annoying me that is a Nara."

"And you've been avoiding me." Shikamaru says, releasing the jutsu. I don't bolt…but I seriously consider it.

"I don't know why people keep saying that." I say as I turn to face him. Why am I being so stupid about this?

"So you didn't leap into Kiba's arms and request that he get you out of there?" He asks and I just regard him blankly. "Did I make you mad or something?"

"You piss me off daily. If that were something to make me avoid you, we wouldn't be friends." I say as I begin walking. "I need to get my groceries home."

"I'll walk you." He says and I shrug. I don't say anything as he falls into step with me. "You know…I've known you long enough to know when something's wrong."

"Nothing's wrong." I say and it's true. Nothing is wrong…I've accepted that he likes Temari, but I don't like her and so I'm not going to subject myself to her presence unless I have to. "I'm a busy woman, you're a busy man. We're just too busy for each other now."

"Right. Except you haven't had a mission in about a month." He says and I raise my eyebrows.

"That's some low key stalking there, Buddy." I say and he shrugs. "I guess a shinobi will always find a way to gather the information that he wants."

"You're absolutely right." He says and I pick up on the underlying threat. He thinks he'll find out what's been bothering me. He's wrong.

"You should know better than to threaten me, Shikamaru." I say and he gets that clever smirk on his face. "I'll end you and you won't even know what hit you."

"You're the only person who ever surprises me." He says and I hate how that makes my heart flutter. I roll my eyes. "What's that?"

"My people call it an eye roll." I say and he glowers at me. "Is the only reason you left your girlfriend so that you could follow me because you thought I was mad at you?"

"She's not my girlfriend." He says, tone very adamant. I call bull shit. "And no. When you ran off, I was walking her to the gate. She's headed back to Suna." Good riddance. "I thought I'd confront you anyway. I don't have anything to do for the rest of the day."

"How do you know I'm not busy?" I ask and he raises a single eyebrow at me. Like he knows my habits THAT well.

"It's Wednesday, one of your light training days with Lady Tsunade. Even so you'll probably spend the rest of the day doing nothing but read up on the latest medical journals." He says and I shake my head.

"The first part is right, but the second part is wrong. I finished catching up on what I have yesterday and so today is going to be my first lazy day in about a year. Amazing, isn't it?" I ask and he hums.

"Do you want to hang out then?" He asks and I'm honestly a little surprised. We haven't spent much time together lately. Mostly because I have been avoiding him. "After we get the groceries back to your apartment of course." Then he takes the heavier of the bags. "I also heard about your broken wrist."

"But you know what? By some magical power, or medical ninjutsu, it was healed and it's perfectly fine now." I say dryly. "I didn't think I'd have to explain that to you…Mr. Kobayashi is a different story, but you should know better."

"You'll teach me one of these days." He says and I roll my eyes. We reach my apartment and I take the steps up. As I suspected, Sasuke isn't home. I unlock the door and head inside. "Something is different."

"Yes…while you've been a busy bee chunin, I've been a restricted chunin who has been going insane with boredom." I say and he hums.

"If you're too bored, the lady who teaches the kunoichi classes is going on maternity leave. You're good at that kind of stuff." He says and I raise an eyebrow at him. "Teaching young girls how to deceive men…"

"Teaching young girls how to take advantage of the stupidity of man." I say, grinning at him. "If Lady Tsunade wants me to, I guess I can."

"Never mind that you could be a jonin." He says and I regard him skeptically now. "You mastered fire before you were fifteen and you're half way to mastering wind. Then do I need to start on you about your medical techniques?"

"You're chatty today." I say as I begin putting things away. "If anyone thought I was ready for that sort of thing, I'd be taking the exam. As things stand, I'm too inexperienced."

"I'll go ahead and call bull shit." He says and I make an annoyed noise to warn him to stop. "Minako." I turn and he's right there. We're too close. "Talk to me."

"Bossy too." I say as I go about tidying up now. "Naruto's back, did you see him?" I ask and he hums. "Why is it that everyone got tall? Hinata is even taller than me now."

"You're not that much shorter than she is." He says and I glare at him. "She's about…five-two and you're what? Five foot even. That's hardly bad."

"Come here." I say, leading the way back to the kitchen. I open the cabinet and point at the top shelf. That's where everything I normally use to cook is. "That fuckhead that I call a brother put all of the things up there. You can reach it no problem. This is what I have to do." I say, climbing onto the counter and standing up. "And this is how I broke my wrist. I didn't tell him it was how I broke my wrist. I, a Hidden Leaf kunoichi, broke my wrist from climbing on the counter tops because my brother is an asshole. I'm lame as hell."

"You're not lame." He says with a roll of his eyes. I go to step down and he steps forward, grabbing me by the waist and lowering me to the ground. My eye is twitching angrily. "That's probably how you broke your wrist."

"I slipped on the dish towel." I say and he smirks as he reaches up and begins moving the things to a more reasonable shelf. "Thanks."

"No problem." He says and I go back into the living room and flop down onto the couch. "So what kind of break was it?"

"Compound. It was disgusting." I say and he shakes his head as he walks over and sits down on one of the arm chairs.

"I know it was bad if you thought it was gross." He says and I look up at him. Why'd he follow me? I was trying to not imagine what it'd be like to live with him.

"I had to go and ask your mom what she recommended for getting the blood off of the wall." I say and he looks at me. "I told her not to tell you because I was trying to keep it under wraps, but apparently everyone in this village enjoys gossip. How'd you hear anyhow?"

"Ino." He says and I narrow my eyes. "She also thinks you've been avoiding me." I groan and turn over so that my face is in the cushion.

"I'm not avoiding you." I totally am avoiding him. "I wish you people wouldn't talk about me behind my back. I'm a delicate flower."

"If you wouldn't avoid me, I wouldn't have to ask about you." He says and I growl before I launch myself at him. The chair falls over and he looks very surprised.

"I'm. Not. Avoiding. You." I enunciate each word. "If you miss me so much, you could make more of an effort to see me." We're both right. I've been avoiding him, but he hasn't been especially trying to see me. The door opens then.

"Oh jeez." Sasuke says and I laugh, getting up. "What the hell were you doing?" He asks, but I'm still laughing.

"He was being annoying, so I scared him." I say, hauling Shikamaru up. He fixes the chair. "What are you doing home?"

"That's not suspicious at all." He says as he goes to the kitchen. "Did you put these down here for her?" He gives Shikamaru a look. "Kiss ass."

"Don't you have a date with Naruto?" I ask, leaning against the archway to the kitchen. "Or with Sakura." I sing her name.

"Team Kakashi is meeting up for a re-do on the bell test." He says and I raise my eyebrows. "I was grabbing some food before."

"Hmm…okay. You need a haircut." I say, reaching up and running a hand through his hair. "I can do it tonight if you want."

"Okay." He says with a shrug. "I'd better get going." He grabs a couple of the ration bars I keep out on the counter. "What are we doing for dinner?"

"I don't know, but I went grocery shopping so it'll be something good. Now go." I say, kicking his butt. He shakes his head before he heads back out. I turn so I'm facing Shikamaru now. "So what do you want to do?"

"I've got an idea. Let's go." He says, leading the way towards the door. I follow him…feeling a little skeptical, but when have I ever not trusted him?

* * *

"So the Akatsuki problem has gotten worse?" I ask Lady Tsunade as I close the door behind me. She looks thoughtful. "If you wanted…you could place someone else on the inside."

"What are you implying?" She asks and I look away. "Absolutely not." She stands and looks out her window. "He told me that he told you. How come you never said anything?"

"Because we didn't need to talk about it." I say, going over and standing beside her. This is how we usually talk. "I've come to peace with what happened…Itachi saved the village from civil war. I don't know how Sasuke would react…I haven't figured out how to tell him yet."

"I'd recommend waiting for a while longer…until we've dealt with the Akatsuki threat." She says and I nod. "Once they've been eliminated…if he survives, I am going to pardon Itachi."

"Thank you." I say, pushing back the tears. "So before I gave you a heart attack, what were you calling me in here for?"

"A mission." She says and I raise my eyebrows. "I'm going to be sending you along with Shikamaru, Sasuke, and Ino."

"What are we going to be doing?" I ask, trying to piece it together with the information I have. A four-man team? Why specifically us?

"It will be more like a vacation really. Something that the four of you could use after the sort of month we've had." She says, smirking a bit. "You're going to be meeting up with an informant of mine at a hot spring in the mountains. You'll be incognito. You'll be squad leader."

"And so I'll be handling speaking with the informant." I say and she nods. "And the three other people are for…."

"You are more than capable of taking care of yourself. I've seen to that. However, I can't send just you and your brother because that looks odd. Ino is good to add in, but then it doesn't appear very symmetrical. Shikamaru evens it out and you have the added benefit of the Ino-Shika combination." She says and I nod. "Intelligence gathering isn't something that you and Sasuke are used to and so this will be a good opportunity. You'll be leaving tomorrow morning. Go ahead and gather your team." She turns and grabs a folder before she hands it to me.

"Alright. I'll do that." I say, glancing over it. "I'll see myself out." I head out the door and nearly run into Shikamaru. "You're here an awful lot, but you're just the shinobi I needed to see. Meet me at the barbeque place in about an hour."

"O..kay?" He asks, raising an eyebrow. "Mind if I ask why?" I smirk and he looks even more confused.

"I'm leading us on a mission. Don't be late." I pat his cheek before I step around him and head off. I drop by the Yamanaka flower shop. Ino's standing there with her mom. She's not wearing an apron, so I know she's not working. "Hello." I smile brightly and Mrs. Yamanaka returns my smile. "I've got to steal Ino, we've got a mission to prepare for."

"Not at all. You girls go on. I'll be fine here." The woman says, giving her daughter's hand a squeeze.

"Are we leaving right now?" Ino asks as she walks over to me. I shake my head, but take her hand and start walking. "What's up?"

"So…we'll be incognito, so I need to buy a yukata because I haven't worn a yukata since I was seven years old." I say and she grins at me. "Shut up before I punch you in your beautiful face."

"Okay, I'll just tease you about something else." She says brightly. "I know the perfect place!"

"Thanks so much." I say dryly. "Take me to my doom." She laughs maniacally as she pulls me along the street. "Oh yeah, we're meeting Shikamaru and Sasuke in an hour. We should bump into Sasuke….." Right on schedule he lands right in front of me. We're by the yukata place now. "Just the man I wanted to see! Go to the barbeque place in about an hour for a mission briefing."

"Oh, okay." He says and then he reaches into his pouch. "This was slid under the door for you. I didn't read it but I did make sure it wasn't dangerous."

"Thanks. See ya in an hour." I say, jumping up and kissing him on the cheek before Ino and I go inside.

"Sakura's going to be so jealous." Ino says with a snicker. "Anyway, let's get to work. With your coloring…hmm…we'll put you in this pretty coral color." She looks at me briefly before she thumbs through the hangers. "And here is your size."

"That was surprisingly painless. You do love me!" I say brightly and she smiles. "Thanks." We take the yukata up to the man who looks like he definitely does not want to be there and I pay. "We'll drop this by my place and then by the time we get back over, it'll be time to meet up."

"Sounds like a plan." She says and then we're traversing through the village. I lead her inside. "It always amazes me how cute your apartment is. Everything else you don't fuss over."

"I've been so bored lately, you don't understand." I say and she laughs. "It's been annoying Sasuke, so that's just an added benefit. The only thing that matters to him is that he can just come home and pass out after training." I lay the package on my bed. "Alright, let's go." We head back out and to the barbeque place. As we walk up, the remaining two members of our team. "I feel so powerful when they actually listen to me. Let's grab something to eat and then we can talk." I lead the way inside and we slide into a booth. I sit beside my brother and the other two sit across from us. Once everything is ordered, I set the file folder out in front of me. "We'll be traveling to the hot springs in the mountains east of here to meet up with an informant. A woman who will be known as Kaiyo. It's a C-rank mission with the potential to elevate to a B-rank. With Sasuke involved, I almost guarantee it."

"Thanks." My brother says dryly. "You know that stupid curse rumor doesn't follow me around, right? It's mostly where Naruto is concerned."

"Nope, you're totally cursed. Now shut up and let me speak." I say and he rolls his eyes. I elbow him in the ribs. "Anyway, we'll be incognito. Ino and I have our stuff covered, so you boys just need to figure out what you'll wear. We're leaving first thing in the morning so that we can make it by dinner time."

"Sounds good to me." Ino says and then she smiles at our server as she sets the tray down. I hum, reading over the information we have. I raise my eyebrows when I read our cover stories.

"Sakura's gonna kick your ass, Ino." I say and she looks confused. "Looks like we're two newly wed couples." I laugh.

"Oh for goodness sake. It's just a mission." The girl says with a roll of her eyes. So she IS over my brother…good. "Too bad you didn't get to me first. You are the more desirable Uchiha twin." She winks and I laugh.

"I'm glad somebody finally thinks so." I say, flipping my hair over my shoulder. Sasuke smirks then.

"Shikamaru's the one who got the short end of the stick." He says and I elbow him in the ribs again…really hard. "Jeez!"

"You talk too much." I say and then I organize the papers and close the folder. "We have a suite booked. It's under the name Shikamaru Ono. Then Sasuke and Ino, you're the Tamura's."

"Okay, now eat something. You skipped lunch." Sasuke says as he takes the folder away and sets a plate in front of me. "No more dieting to fit into that wedding kimono." I snicker.

"You guys are lucky that you're only children. Having a brother is super annoying. He tries to tell me what to do all the time." I say and he makes an amused sort of sound.

"Oh come on, I'm not that bad. You're ten times worse than I am." He says and I go to elbow him again. "What about that built-in best friend thing we talked about the other day?"

"That's only when you're not an insufferable prick which is very hit or miss." I say and he gives me a look. "If you don't like my language, get a new sister."

"Eat before I squish you like a bug." He says, flicking my forehead. Very briefly he freezes up, but then he acts normal. I lean my head against his shoulder, but eat none the less.

"It's disconcerting watching the two of you sometimes." Ino says as she looks between the two of us. "A little less so since we're older now. You guys used to look a lot more alike."

"That's the cool thing about being a twin. I never have to wonder what I would look like if I were a boy. I must say, I'm much more attractive as a girl."

"Funny, I was thinking the same thing…only switched. I'm a better looking guy. I would be pretty flat-chested for a girl." Sasuke says and I punch him in the shoulder. "Jeez! My arm is numb!"

"Good." I growl. "Freakin' pervert checking out your sister." I mutter, taking another bite from the plate in front of me. Ino is trying really hard not to laugh. "Whiney baby."

"To be fair, it was unexpected." Ino says in his defense and I shift my glower to her. "What? Never mind that you hit the hardest out of everyone I know. Well…maybe not Shikamaru."

"Meh, child's play." I say and my best friend raises his eyebrow. "Unless you've been pulling your punches. In which case you owe me a rematch."

"We'll see after the mission." He says and I shake my head. So help me if he actually has been…

* * *

"I think I could get used to this." I say as I smooth my yukata. We've been walking for about two hours now. I must say, the pace is very nice.

"No you couldn't." Shikamaru says, sounding amused. "You get bored way too easily." I shrug, he's probably right. "Come here." I raise an eyebrow but drift to his side. "We're supposed to act married, right?" He offers his arm and I take it. I smirk.

"Wow Shikamaru, your forearms are incredibly firm." I say and he looks to the sky, probably asking how he got so lucky as to have a best friend like me. He then gets a look like he has an idea. As we pass under a flowering tree, he reaches up and plucks a flower before he tucks it behind my ear. I raise my eyebrows and he smirks. "Are we going to see how annoying we can be to each other? Because this is a game that I can play in my sleep." I say and he shrugs. "Oh you're in for it."

"I'll bet they're even worse when I'm not around." Sasuke says and Ino lets out a short laugh.

"No, they're pretty much the same. I can only imagine what it's like when they're alone together." She says, just being evil now.

"Nah, I'm not any different. He just always tries to win, but I'm better at the game." I say and Ino raises an eyebrow. "Oh, he thought he was cute once when he made me blush and so he thinks that's winning."

"I've never in my life seen you blush, Minako." Ino says dubiously. "What could he have possibly said?"

"I don't remember." I say, even though that's a lie. I remember exactly what he said because it felt like approval…it felt like it mattered. "I remember wanting to punch his stupid, smug face."

"You have that feeling every day. That's hardly something significant." He says and I offer a 'fair enough' look.

"Let's stop and have lunch soon." Ino says and I nod. "You should wear your hair like that more often."

"I suppose I could make it more functional…" I say as I pull the braid over my shoulder. "It does stay out of my way like this. But I feel like it's kind of my thing for my hair to blow dramatically in the wind as I kick ass."

"Okay, Miss. Dramatic." Shikamaru says with a roll of his eyes. We're coming up on a café now. Time to be cute.

"Don't you mean, Mrs. Dramatic?" I ask, reaching up and tapping his nose. His cheeks flush pink and I laugh, a cute and delicate sound. The four of us sit down at a table. Since there really is no history of Sasuke and Ino annoying each other like Shikamaru and I do, we take on the role of the love struck newlyweds…or rather I do. I don't get a lot of chances to act like an airhead and I am such a great actress. Ino fights to keep a straight face and Sasuke can't help but roll his eyes. We probably don't have to ham it up all the way out here, but it doesn't hurt…especially if I can annoy both Sasuke and Shikamaru. We order our lunch.

* * *

I gasp as I sit up and turn to make sure that Ino is okay. These nightmares need to stop. The girl squeezes her eyes shut tighter before she opens them.

"Minako, are you okay?" She asks gently. I bring my knees to my chest and rest my forehead against them. She sits up and rubs my back.

"Yeah, I'm okay." I whisper back. "I just keep having bad dreams is all." I say and then there's a knock on the door. "It's just Sasuke. I'll go and reassure him." I slide out of bed and open the door. I immediately push on the chest and am surprised when it's Shikamaru. "You're not my twin."

"Nah, he's asleep." He says and I step out and close the door behind me. The living area of our suite is lit only by the moonlight. "You okay?"

"Just a bad dream." I say as I go over and sit down on the couch. "It was Ino…She and I were doing something for Lady Tsunade and she fell from a really high cliff. I tried to get to her in time, but I wasn't fast enough."

"Why do you always try to take everything on yourself?" He asks, sitting down beside me. "You're going to drive yourself crazy."

"I think I do it because if something gets fucked up, I can blame myself. If I let other people do it, then I'm not sure if it's their fault or if it's mine….so at least if I do it myself I know for sure." I say and then I yawn.

"People can still screw things up if you're the one trying to take care of them." He says and I make an annoyed noise. "Sorry, just trying to help you think logically for once in your life."

"Excuse me? I'm plenty logical." I say as I pull my knees to my chest. "And that logic makes sense. If I don't give people the chance to let me down, then they won't."

"You used to be a lot more open." He says and I shrug. "What happened that made you so scared?"

"I'm not scared." I say firmly. "Apprehension isn't fear. But…there was someone that I trusted with something and they broke that without meaning to."

"I don't think that you could have been any more vague if you wanted to." He says, sounding somewhat amused. "Did I do something? Because you're still avoiding me?"

"You're being annoying. I'm about to go and climb in with Sasuke." I threaten and he quiets.

"I guess I got the answer I needed anyhow…I just need to figure out what I did." He says and I glare at him. He didn't do anything except fall for Temari which isn't something I can be angry about. I should have said something. But I missed the opportunity. If I could just stop wanting to kiss him, that'd be great. No? Well shit. I stand up and go over to the sliding glass door and look out on the garden that's shared by the four suites in this section of the hot spring. "You're complicated."

"You're just now figuring that out?" I mutter. "I mean, sure you've always had somewhat of a better understanding…"

"It'd be easier if you talked to me." He says, coming closer. No, stay away. "I know a mission isn't a great time to start."

"It really isn't." I say, hoping that he'll get the hint that I don't want to talk. We always have been about annoying each other. He makes me look at him. "What do you want me to say?" He looks a lot more intense than usual. I sigh and hug him.

"That you miss me as much as I miss you." He says and I feel heat rise to my cheeks. I'm so glad that he can't see my face right now. "What happened to this?"

"I thought that you'd think it was weird if I hugged you all the time like I used to. We're adults now." I say and I feel the force of his eye roll. "Since the whole people being obsessed with me thing has calmed down, I don't want to lessen your chances of snagging a lady friend."

"Trust me. It's fine. And besides, even if there were a girl if she had a problem with you then she isn't the kind of girl for me." He says and I smile. I hate how relaxed I feel now. It would make it so much easier if this didn't feel as great. He's turned me into one of those people that I never wanted to be. I guess it could be worse. "Just let me be there for you, okay?"

"I know that you're my best friend and everything, but why do you want to so badly?" I ask, enjoying that he hasn't let go yet.

"Honestly? No clue." He says and I laugh quietly. "So do you?" I look up at him, eyebrow raised. "Miss me as much as I miss you?"

"Are you trying to make me blush, you asshole?" I ask and he smirks. "Of course I miss you."

"Then stop avoiding me." He says and I sucker punch him. He exhales and almost falls to his knees, but I hold him up.

"I'm not avoiding you." I say and he gives me a look. "I have only avoided you once in the past three months."

"The one where you were flirting with Kiba?" He asks and I glare at him. "What? From where I was standing it definitely looked like you were twirling your hair or whatever flirty thing you do."

"I'm the opposite of flirty. If I ever appear it, it is most definitely a joke." I say, tossing my hair before I walk towards the room Sasuke is sleeping in. Shikamaru grabs my hand. "Why? Were you jealous?"

"Maybe." He says and I feel the blood drain from my face. "Sorry. Anyway, are you going to be able to sleep?"

"Yeah." I say with a nod. I'm not entirely sure though. "I'll see you in the morning." I smile and head back to Ino and I's room. I climb into bed and she stirs a bit. "Sorry, everything's okay."

"Mmkay, if you need me just wake me up." She says, turning on her side to face me. I smile as I lay back down and pull the covers up. "G'night Minako."

"Night Ino." I say and then I close my eyes. My ears pick up on Shikamaru saying something, but I can't quite make out what it is.

* * *

"Mr. Ono, there is a message for you." The Innkeeper's daughter says as she bows respectfully to Shikamaru and offers him the envelope. This is from our informant.

"Thank you." He says as he takes it and she bows again before she retreats. He hands it to me and I open it. Inside is a note asking us to meet her in the baths and a necklace that will tell her that I am who she is supposed to be speaking with.

"We should head to the baths now." I say with a smile. There are three different baths at this inn. A private bath for men and women and then a bath for both. The one for both is more like a swimming pool than anything. I stand up and Shikamaru follows. I see the brief look of apprehension in my brother's eyes, but he follows, escorting Ino as he would his wife. We return to our suite and grab our swimsuits before we go to the changing rooms. Once inside I change and fold my clothes neatly. I pile my hair on top of my head and put the necklace on. When I step out Ino raises her eyebrows at me.

"A bikini? My my Minako." She says, folding her arms across her chest. She's wearing a one piece.

"If I could, I would totally run away right now." I say as I wrap my towel around myself. "And it is your fault that I only have a bikini. I only have one swimsuit."

"I'm only teasing, you look beautiful." She says, slinging an arm around my shoulders. We step out into the public bath and the boys join us. "You'll need to help your wife loosen up, Shikamaru. She's feeling quite shy."

"Watch it." Sasuke says dryly. For once I'm thankful for his over-protectiveness. "Over there looks alright." I nod my approval of the more private portion and we head that way. They get in and I sigh before I sit down on the edge, remove my towel and slide in.

"And now we wait." I say, trying to appear relaxed. Shikamaru has his arm draped along the edge of the bath enough so that it seems like it is an affectionate gesture…since technically I am supposed to be his wife. Ten minutes pass in silence.

"Is it alright if I slide in right here?" A woman asks as she walks up. She looks to be in her mid to late thirties. An average build with lightly tanned skin, accented by bright purple hair. "My name is Kaiyo." She smiles brightly.

"Of course." I say, returning the smile. "I'm Minako and this is my husband Shikamaru. As well as my brother Sasuke and his wife, Ino."

"It's a pleasure to meet such young couples in a place like this." She says as she slides into the water. She sighs, letting her shoulders relax. "So what brings you all here?"

"Just a vacation of sorts…we didn't really have the time when we were first married and so now we've decided to spend the time together." Sasuke says and Ino smiles, leaning her head against his shoulder. He doesn't appear terribly uncomfortable to the un-Sasuke trained eye. Kaiyo hums.

"I imagine the young ladies had more of a say in the location." She says and I laugh, tucking some hair behind my ear.

"Guilty. It's impossible to get them to make any decisions. You can imagine what the wedding planning process was like. I could've killed him." I say jokingly and she laughs. Probably because I'm such a great actress. Does she realize that we're only sixteen?

"I'm fortunate to never have had to face that." She says and then her expression shifts subtly. She's more business now. "I would like to invite you all to have dinner with me. A special treat to celebrate your love for each other."

"We accept. Thank you so much for your generosity." I say and she nods. "When should we meet?"

"I'll have Sayuri come and fetch you around seven. How does that sound?" She asks and I look to my companions, feigning contemplation.

"That sounds fine." Sasuke says with a nod. It's weird to see him actually responding to people with some sense of politeness. He's a better actor than I thought.

"Splendid. I'll leave you to enjoy your bath then and I'll see you around seven." She says and then she's getting out. She winks at us and walks away.

"She was very familiar." I say, trying to think of where I'd seen her before…Of course she could be using a transformation jutsu. It could be anyone. No…I know what it is. She sort of reminds me of Mother.

"You figured it out?" Sasuke asks and I shake my head. He knows I'm lying. "Fine. Later."

"You're such a good boy." I say with a closed-eye smile. Of course I count on him forgetting. I sigh and pretend to relax more. There's no need for them to realize that I'm so tense.

* * *

"Straight to business then?" Kaiyo asks as we settle in at the private dining table. If our suite was nice, hers is even more extravagant. "Oh wow, if I can say you look exactly like your mother. Mikoto, right? You're her twins."

"You knew her?" I ask and she smiles. There's at least a ten year age difference…maybe… "Business first." I say with a shake of my head.

"Right. I have all of the information right here. It's probably best if you don't read over it. It might be a little much for you guys." She says as she slides a folder to me. I take the scroll from my sleeve and seal it away. I give it to Shikamaru and he tucks it away. "But yes…I knew Mikoto. She was good friends with my older sister. You're the spitting image of her. The way I hear it, you got lucky." She winks. "Fugaku was a harsh man, forgive me if that bothers you."

"If I'm bothered by the truth, then I have no business being in my profession." I say and she nods. "Our brother looks more like our father."

"A good splitting of genes." She says with a nod. "I see your use of seals. Are you a master?"

"Minako spends most of her energy on medical ninjutsu." Sasuke says, he's grumpy because of me talking about Itachi, but he's not rude to her. "She is a student of Lady Tsunade's along with Ino."

"My, how impressive." She says and then her eyes shift to Shikamaru. "And you must be Shikaku's boy."

"What? I don't look like my mother too?" He asks and I laugh. He smiles a little and Ino's eyes are wide as she looks between the two of us.

"I'll have to make my way back towards Konoha sometime in the near future." She says fondly. "Are you staying for tonight too?"

"We'll probably head out shortly after dinner." I say and she nods. "And what will you do next?"

"Who knows? I follow the wind." She says and I recognize an odd feeling in my chest. Is that envy? I guess I did always want to travel the world with Itachi. "It's a fickle existence, that's for sure. I don't really get to set down roots."

"That's not so bad. No roots makes it harder for you to get hurt." I say before I can stop myself. Sasuke's head jerks in my direction. "I used to want to be that kind of kunoichi…traveling the world…helping people…helping the Hidden Leaf."

"Hmm…I suppose you're right." She says with a wink. "You're pretty cynical for a kid." I feel a bit of annoyance.

"Medic." I say, pointing my thumbs towards myself. "Most of us are cynical assholes because of how dumb our patients are." She snorts.

"I'll allow it." She says with a nod. "What about you, Ino? Are you cynical?" She asks and my friend looks a little surprised.

"I don't have nearly as much field experience as Minako does yet, so I can only assume it'll get worse." She says and I chuckle. Sayuri…who is apparently Kaiyo's apprentice brings in a large tray. She serves the food and we begin eating. Dinner takes place in silence…that's when I remember Kaiyo. She came to visit Mother one time. She had Itachi take Sasuke and I out for ice cream or something…but I remember she was kind. She was also…very pregnant. Did she lose her child? I am a horrid individual.

"Get a head start. I'll be right behind you." I say to my team. Shikamaru regards me skeptically, but Sasuke pulls on his arm and they go with Ino. I turn to Kaiyo.

"So you remembered?" She asks and I feel the tears welling up in my eyes. I blink them away. "It's alright…it was a boy and he was five when he passed away. His name was Raidan."

"I should have been more careful with my thoughts. I'm sorry." I say and she waves it away. "I just wanted to apologize before I left."

"I appreciate it. Take care of yourself, Minako. The world needs more kunoichi such as yourself." She says and I smile before I take off, moving to catch up with my team. We've ditched our disguises and we're in our usual attire. I speed up when I hear the sounds of combat.

"Get out of here!" Sasuke yells, looking at me. "They're after you!" I take in the scene. These are Orochimaru's underlings. They're all dressed like the Sound Four had been.

"Fat chance. All or none of us." I say as I get into the fray. "Any time you've got an idea, Shikamaru, that'd be great!"

"Workin' on it!" He responds and then he's setting something up. Little by little, so his opponent doesn't notice it. I'm fighting a man who is a good three times my size. The hits are definitely a lot harder than I'm used to…even with Lady Tsunade as my teacher. They don't seem to have an enhancements like the Sound Four did…they're just good fighters. I gasp as my braid gets pulled around my neck. A tag team? I throw the kunai and it sticks in the man before he disappears in a puff of smoke. Shadow clone. The real guy is choking me right now.

"Minako!" Ino yells as I'm gasping and trying to get him to let go. It's time to pull a Sakura, I guess. I pull out my kunai and cut my hair. He'd been pulling with so much force, he stumbles when the hair is gone. I spin around land a kick in the middle of his sternum. His rib cage collapses and I see the panic as he lays on the ground, gasping. I run to Sasuke who had just defeated his guy.

"Dragon fire." I say and he nods. Shikamaru and Ino take off behind us as we make the seals. We incinerate the rest before we take off. "We are not stopping until we reach the village."

"I don't think we're going to argue." Ino says and I feel a bit of a smile pluck at the corners of my mouth. Traveling like this, we make it to the Hidden Leaf in no time. We stop briefly at the gate before we go to wait on Lady Tsunade…they have us waiting in her office. "Here, let me help you. You're bleeding." Ino says as she walks over to me. "Right on your face. How did I miss that?"

"Eh, it was a tense situation. I probably did it when I butchered my pride and joy." I say, allowing her to heal the wound on my face.

"Alright, I'll fix it while we wait." She says as she walks around behind me. "We'd better be careful, or your hair won't be the only thing butchered."

"Shh, she'll hear you." I say and she laughs a little. I guess it isn't too bad…evened out it'll be a little below my shoulders. "Now I've Sakura'd too!"

"What if that became a thing?" Ino asks and we laugh together. The boys just look at us like we're crazy. "We'll have to be careful that I don't mistake Sasuke for you now."

"I know, sorry for creating so much more work." I say, putting a hand over my heart. We snicker again. Lady Tsunade storms in as Ino finishes with my hair. She throws the hair into the trash and we stand before our Hokage.

"Did you get it?" She asks and I nod, producing the scroll and handing it over to her. She sets it down on the desk before she walks over. "And you encountered an enemy?"

"They were undoubtedly Orochimaru's men." I say and her eyes narrow. "I had been speaking with Kaiyo briefly and so I sent the others on ahead. When I caught up they were fighting."

"I assumed they were after Minako because they saw Ino and said that she wasn't the right girl. We killed them all and made our escape." Sasuke says and she looks at him. "I'm not sure if they were trying to kill her or simply take her."

"I guess the important part is that the mission was successful." She says as she turns and walks back towards the desk. Sasuke takes a step forward, but I grab his arm. The warning is plenty implied. "Great work. I'll look into my network and see what I can find concerning Orochimaru. In the meantime, you know where you can stay if you're concerned about another attempt." She means the Nara's home. "Also, there better not be hair on my floor."

"We were careful, Milady." Ino says, bowing her head. The older woman shakes her head at us.

"Alright. Go home. Finish the paper work in the morning." She says and we all retreat. Ino gives me a quick hug before she takes off into the night. Shikamaru stops Sasuke and I.

"Let me guess. You'd feel better if we stayed?" I ask and his expression stays the same. "I don't want to run to your dad any time something even appears like it's going wrong."

"Some of the veins around your eyes popped. Forgive me for being a little concerned." He snaps and I raise my eyebrows.

"Okay." I say softly. "If you don't mind, Sasuke. I think I will feel a little better if we're surrounded by more people."

"Yeah." Sasuke nods. "If you want to go ahead, I'll bring your go bag." I look at him for a moment. "Mina, if I were going to leave I would have done it years ago. You can trust me."

"I know. I'm sorry." I say and then I hug him. His arms tighten around me and I feel secure. "Okay, go." I feel him nod and then he goes. "Alright, you ready?" I ask looking up at Shikamaru and then he hugs me.

"That was the first time I've seen you look worried in a situation like that." He says and I notice that he's shaking a little.

"Luckily for you, I'm a quick thinker." I say, but it doesn't ease the tension. "Come on, let's get you home." I pat his arm and he lets go. I take his hand and give it a squeeze. "You won't be rid of me that easily." I spring to the nearest roof then and head off in the direction of his house. I follow him inside and he takes my hand…he's still shaking. Shikaku steps into the entrance and I look up at him, surprised. "I'm home?"

"Looks like it's been a rough night. Is your brother coming?" He asks and I nod. "Alright. Take a shower and then get some sleep. I'll stay up and let him in."

"You don't have to-" I'm cut off by the look he gives me. "Yes, Sir." I bow my head and Shikamaru leads the way down the hall. "But I don't have my clothes."

"You can wear some of mine." He says and I lapse into silence. I wait in the hall outside of his room and he returns with shorts and a tee shirt. I smile as I take them and go to head towards the bathroom. "I'm sorry for yelling at you."

"Honey, if that was yelling then you getting screaming mad isn't terrifying at all." I say with a smirk over my shoulder. I finish my trek to the bathroom and hop into the shower. It takes considerably less time since I no longer have ass-length hair. I tidy the bathroom and head to the guest room I always stay in…that's where Shikamaru is sitting on the bed. He's staring at the ground. "What's wrong?"

"I don't know." He says honestly. "I guess I just wasn't prepared for that kind of mission."

"Did it bring about buried emotions?" I ask with a smirk. "Or is this specific to the attack?"

"I should've been there backing you up." He says and I give him a look. "I was right there. I could've looked away from my guy for a second."

"And then take a kunai in the back of your head? Hell no. If we're in a fight together, you focus on your guy and I'll worry about mine. I lived through it and that's all that matters." I say and my tone is short. He looks at me for a moment before he smiles a very little bit. "What?"

"Nothing." He says, standing up. "Good night." He walks past me and then he stops in the doorway. I don't turn to look at him. "By the way, you look cute like that." The door clicks shut and I whirl around to stare at it. What the hell? What did he mean by that?

* * *

"Minako Uchiha!" Yoshino yells and I wince and open one eye warily to look at her. "What on earth happened to you!?"

"Well…you see….as it turns out having long hair is a choking hazard. And so I hastily took care of the problem." I say and then Sasuke walks into the problem. "Then we roasted the rest of the problem. Isn't that right, Brother?"

"Yeah." He says, running a hand through his hair. "But you've been right all along…you look just like me now. We may need to wear name tags."

"You're lucky I'm sore, otherwise I'd punch your lights out." I say, narrowing my eyes at him. "Even if my hair is short, I'm still the pretty twin."

"I guess I can live with being the tall one." He says and then he spins out of my reach as I lash out at him.

"Where is that son of mine?" Yoshino mutters as she pokes her head out into the hall way.

"He had a tough time getting to sleep." Sasuke says and I raise an eyebrow at him. "What? We talked for a bit."

"I didn't think you actually talked to people more than what was absolutely necessary." I say and he makes a face at me. I'm loving that he's acting so comfortably around Yoshino. I guess it's been long enough. "Anyway, I'll go and wake him up. We've got work to do this morning." I stand up and head down the hall way. Once I reach Shikamaru's room, I knock. There's no answer, so I open the door. "Shika?" I ask quietly. He's laying on his stomach, pillow over his head. I go over and sit down on the edge of the bed. I move the pillow and take his hair out of his pony tail…only because it'll annoy him more than anything. I gently run my fingers through his hair. "It's time to wake up. I know it's your most favorite thing in the world. Paper work." He doesn't say anything. Why am I being so nice? Normally I'd just rip the covers off and be loud and obnoxious.

"Are you trying to wake me up or put me back to sleep?" He asks and my hand freezes. He turns his head so that he can look at me with one eye. "I'm trying."

"I know…I think that's why I went with a more gentle approach. You're a very hard worker these days." I say and he rubs his eyes against his arm. "Sasuke said you had a hard time sleeping?"

"Traitor." He mutters and I raise an eyebrow, but resume the stroking of his hair. Apparently it did wake up him, so maybe it'll help? "How'd you sleep?"

"Like a rock." I say dryly. "I don't think I've slept that hard in a long time." I hear the quiet laugh.

"So that's who was snoring." He says and I take a fist full of hair and pull. "Ouch." It's rather emotionless. "Alright, I'll get up now."

"Don't make me come back in here." I say sternly as I get up. I leave his hair tie and go back to the dining room.

"I didn't hear any yelling or cursing. Why aren't you that nice when you wake me up?" Sasuke asks and I smirk.

"I don't need to be loud to be annoying. His weak spot is the hair. Take away the pony tail and he's a weak man." I say and Yoshino shakes her head. "What?"

"Oh nothing." She says and then she's bringing breakfast into the dining room. Shikamaru walks in and as he goes to take the seat next to me, he steals my hair tie.

"Hey! Give that back." I say, reaching for it. He just puts it into his pocket. I sigh and comb my fingers through my hair. "Please?"

"Don't try and be cute. You were really annoying." He says and I stick my tongue out at him.

"You're lucky that didn't hurt. I would take your hand off. I could probably reattach it promptly, but I'd take it off." I say and he smirks.

"Only probably though. So I guess I'm glad it didn't hurt." He says and then Shikaku walks in.

"It's definitely the morning after a rough mission. Want to talk about what happened?" He asks as he sits down.

"The mission itself was easy. We met with the informant and then when we were heading back we ran into a bunch of Orochimaru's goons. Apparently they're more interested in me now. I can only imagine why." I say with a roll of my eyes. "Anyway, I nearly got murdered by my own hair so I cut that and then we lit the sons of bitches on fire."

"That's my girl." Yoshino says, placing her hand on top of my head briefly. "That's a good look on you. I didn't want to say anything just in case it was a soft spot."

"She called it butchering her pride and joy." Sasuke snorts. "I don't know, you sort of remind me more of Mother that way." I make another snatch for my hair tie, which Shikamaru doesn't allow.

"He's picking on me." I inform Shikaku who just appears amused. "It is totally uncalled for as well."

"I don't know…if you call a man weak without his pony tail, I think that's pretty called for." Shikamaru says and I snicker.

"Hardly a man." I say, flicking his nose. I return to my breakfast. "But anyway…that's it. The mission that is."

"Well you're more than welcome to stay as long as you need to. You know that." Shikaku says and I smile. "And how are your eyes?"

"They're fine. Everything's fine. I fought the equivalent of Guy-sensei mixed with…hmm…probably Asuma-sensei." I say and Shikamaru shakes his head. "Stop before I shove a grape up your nose."

"It's not that. It's just that you would most definitely pick the biggest guy to fight." He says and I snicker.

"I don't think it's so much that I pick them. They just try to pick on me. Big guys are usually super lazy that way." I say and then I arch my back to pop it. "You'd think Orochimaru would warn them that I'm hard core." Sasuke snorts. "I know I bring it up at least once a month, but should we talk about the bone sword twice this month?"

"You're incredible. In both good and bad ways." My brother says and I smile. I'll allow it. "Now eat something. You barely touched your dinner last night."

"Yes, Mom." I say, bowing my head. I begin eating but then…then a dream I had comes back to me and I drop my fork. My hand is shaking badly. "I've gotta go." I jump up and run back to the guest room. I pull on the fresh clothes from my bag and open the door. Shikamaru and Sasuke are there. Shikaku isn't far behind. "It's Asuma." I can't help the slight sob at the end. "I need to see Lady Tsunade." Shikamaru's eyes widen.

"What happens?" He asks, all hints of tiredness leaving his features altogether. "Where? When?"

"It was you, Ino, Choji, two other guys who I don't recognize and Asuma…you were fighting two members of the Akatsuki. This is the first time I wasn't actually there." I say and he looks at his dad.

"What is this about?" Shikaku asks and I look up at him. I'm trying to calm myself down. I take a deep breath.

"Minako has these dreams and they're always right…except she changes them." Sasuke explains and then he looks at the man. "She saved Shikamaru from being killed three years ago."

"And how did you do that?" He asks, looking to me. Do I want to tell him that my brother was intent upon killing his son?

"I kicked him out of the fight and did it myself." I say and he gets that disapproving dad look. "I don't have time to talk about this. She specifically said that I'm to come to her immediately with these things."

"Alright. Go. I'll explain to Yoshino." He says and I take off down the hall. I run straight to the Hokage tower and head right into the office. Asuma is there.

"I'm kind of in the middle of something." She says, sounding annoyed. Understandably so. "What is it?"

"I had another dream. Whatever you're about to send him to do. Don't." I say and she stands up. "To search for Akatsuki? Right?"

"We're running out of options here. As much as I value your opinions and this apparent foresight you have, we can't call off missions any time you have one." She says and I feel my hands ball into fists. "You're key in stopping them though, aren't you?"

"Whatever it is, I was told that there were people that I was supposed to save. Apparently this guy is on that list. You act like I do this every day." I say, sounding annoyed. "It hasn't happened in like about two years."

"Fine. Brat." She says and then she appears thoughtful. "I guess you leave me no choice then. Minako, you're being promoted to jonin and you'll accompany Asuma along with a team of your own."

"I…what?" I ask, my eyebrows furrowing together. "Okay." I decide not to argue. "I would like to take Sasuke, Sakura, Naruto, Izanagi, and Junichi."

"Replace Naruto. I don't want him near them." She says and I think on it. Who would be a good option?

"Shino." I say and she nods. Good…another strategic mind will be good to have in this instance.

"I'll leave it to you to round everyone up then. Asuma will brief you and then you will head out this afternoon. Understood?" She asks and I nod.

"Okay. I'll be back." I say and my eyes meet Asuma's for a moment. There's some confusion there, but I don't address it. I just turn and head out of the office. I make my way to the Aburame clan's compound where I knock on the front door of the main house. Shino answers. "Hey, you busy? I hope not because I need you to come on a mission with me."

"I will be ready to go in just a moment." He says, not showing it but I sense the confusion. Izanagi and Jun live close by here.

"Okay, we'll be meeting with Lady Tsunade before we go. Could you pick up Izanagi and Junichi on your way? I've got a few more people I need to get." I ask and he nods once. "Thanks. I'll see you in a little while." I head off then. To Sakura's house. Her mother answers. "Mrs. Haruno, is Sakura in?"

"She sure is. Step inside for a moment." She invites and I smile before I follow her inside. I stay in the entry way. "I'll go and get her."

"Thank you." I say with a smile and she heads upstairs. Shortly after, Sakura comes down. "Hey, we've got a mission."

"Alright. Let me just grab my pack." She says, jogging back up the stairs. She doesn't take very long. "I don't know when I'll be back! But I love you!" She calls to her parents. "Okay, let's go." We head out and Shikamaru and Sasuke land in front of us.

"We have been chasing you all over the damn village. Will you slow down for a second?" Shikamaru asks, a little testy.

"I'm a jonin. We're collecting people for our mission. Keep up." I say and then I'm running again, towards Ino's. "Go get Choji!"

"Wait! You got promoted!?" Sakura exclaims as she catches up with me. "Since when!? Didn't you just get back?"

"We came home last night. I got promoted like five minutes ago. There's a super long story that I don't really have time to tell you right now. But we're going after Akatsuki." I say and she gets very solemn. "I've only seen one person dying in this encounter and I'm going to stop it. So if anyone is going to die whenever it happens, it's going to be me. That's a big if though, because we have a lot more man power with the new set up."

"Your dreams." She says softly and I nod. "I'll do whatever I can to help." I smile and we reach Ino's. I sense her chakra in her room so I leap straight in through the window.

"Hey, we've got a mission." I say as I perch on her window sill. She looks confused but she grabs her mission pack anyway.

"Alright. I'll meet you out front. I've just got to let my mom know I'm going." She says and I smile before I fall backwards out of the window and land in a crouch. When she meets up with us we head to the Hokage tower where everyone is waiting. I recognize one of the two men from my dream.

"Now that everyone is here." Lady Tsunade says as she stands before us. "Today you will be going after two members of the Akatsuki. Sasuke, Sakura, Shino, Izanagi, and Junichi. Your squad leader will be Minako. You will focus on fighting one while Asuma's squad will focus on fighting the other." We will be taking the man who I saw killing Asuma. I will accept no other arrangement. "For most of you, this is probably the most dangerous mission you've been on. Fight well and listen to your squad leaders…they know a thing or two. Get going." We file out of the office.

"The rest of you meet us at the gate. I need to have a word with Minako." Asuma says and I look up at him. Our squads, for the most part, reluctantly obey and head that way. "Whatever happens, don't let it cloud your judgement. Who knows? Since the numbers have apparently increased, maybe it won't even come close to happening."

"I don't intend to let anyone die on this mission. We have three medics and one of us is able to break the rules." I say and he raises his eyebrows. "I will treat it with the same amount of seriousness that I have treated all of my missions before. My duty is to protecting this village."

"Alright." He says and then he pats me on top of my head. "Since Kenta's not in the village."

"I picked up on that. Thanks." I say with a shake of my head. "So since I'm a jonin now, does that mean that I can drop the 'sensei' part? I've gotten terribly lazy in my old age."

"Sure." He says with a shake of his head. "Let's go." I nod and we meet up and head out. "Any idea what we're up against?"

"I don't know much about your battle experience, but I know for a fact that this is going to be one of the most difficult fights any of us has probably encountered." I say trying to think back to what it was that they did. "One of them…his hands came off on these strange wires?" The focus in my dream was hardly on him. "They had elemental jutsu connected with them. Then the other guy…I picked up more from him. He uses some sort of ritual that binds his body with his sacrifice. He only has to cut you once and then the rest is up to him doing some sort of strange self-mutilation. He's the taller of the two."

"It's probably best if we don't ask questions on how you know all of that, right?" Choji asks and I offer a weak smile over my shoulder.

"I couldn't let Sasuke be the only freak in the family. He's got a curse mark. I've got premonitions or something. It's something I've learned to deal with." I say with a shrug.

"And that's why she's our insane little shit. I'm sorry, that's Ms. Jonin now." Izanagi says and I laugh a little. "But you're still little, so I guess I can still make the jokes."

"Just add 'ma'am' to the end of it and we should be good." I say jokingly and that gets some laughs. Even from the guy I don't know. It doesn't take us very long to arrive at the location where the fight will be held. I shiver as I see it. "Here…it begins here." I stand on the step where the tall man will be sitting. "In my dream, Shikamaru was on the roof holding him in place with the shadow. You," I nod to the guy I don't know. "and another guy stabbed him in his vitals as Asuma distracted him. You two." I look to Ino and Choji. "Didn't come in until later. After Asuma went down." Ino gasps. "That's why there are more of us now. Before Asuma was the only one fighting Masochistic Fuck and the other three were fighting the other guy…Kakuzu." I can't think of what my opponents name is. "I've got an idea for keeping him in place easier than using shadow stitching." I tap my nose. "And it involves a certain earth affinity whom I'm very fond of."

"Me, she means me." Izanagi whispers. "Even though she is fond of you, Shikamaru." I shake my head. "Didn't want you to get confused."

"Thanks." Shikamaru says dryly. I shake my head again. "What's your plan? Because I know I'm not going to like it."

"Izanagi drag Masochistic Fuck into the earth about ankle deep. Sasuke and I will lay into him with kunai and wire then we'll melt the son of a bitch." I say simply. "Sakura will play a traditional support role. Junichi and Shino will provide back up in case of surprises. I also like the idea of draining these assholes of their chakra."

"That's not terrible." He allows and I give him a look. "Do you have any idea what the other guy is like?"

"The dream focused more on…Hidan! That's his name." I say, snapping at the realization. "The dream focused more on him." All I remember is the man continuously beating the ever loving fuck out of Asuma. I look around, trying to think of a way to combat that the guy's hands coming off. "I do remember…a sort of water jutsu. Kakuzu was stuck and so that's when his hands flew off and began choking out you and your buddy."

"Yeah, that's my jutsu." He says and then he looks a bit disconcerted. "It's impossible to get out of once you're in it."

"Yeah, but that doesn't stop the rest of him from moving. I think that in conjunction with shadow stitching would be effective." I say and then I look up at Asuma. "Then you're good at slicing off people's heads."

"Then we're good with taking back up. Since Minako's chakra will be otherwise preoccupied." Ino says and I smile. With my reserve seal, there's little need to worry.

"It won't be easy, but it's doable." Asuma says with a nod. "I guess all that's left to do is wait. Let's move into ambush positions." I signal, using my half tiger seal and we disappear. It doesn't take too much longer. I signal for my team to get ready before I move in…instead of being an immediate threat, though, I act casual. I walk up and sit down about a foot away on the steps.

"Hello." I say in a pleasant tone. "I like your cloak…red and black look pretty awesome together."

"What do you want, kid?" He asks, looking at me. I give a closed-eye smile that definitely reminds me of Anko Mitarashi.

"A shinobi such as yourself is far too good to talk to an aspiring missing-nin? I'm looking to join my brother and rumor has it, you know a guy." I say and he takes a better look at me. "My name is Minako Uchiha."

"Well I'll be damned." He says and then he stands up. "I heard about you. Really gave Itachi a run for his money, didn't you?"

"Eh, my father did always try to send a man to do a woman's job. You overlook the girl to try and send on the stronger looking man and then you get burned. Well…" I offer a nonchalant look. "So what do you say? Want to facilitate a family reunion?" I signal and Izanagi springs the attack. Hidan sinks into the earth.

"You bitch." Hidan says, the vein in his forehead popping out. I jump out of the way as he whips his scythe in my direction. I land just as Sasuke flits to my side and we throw our kunai. We form the tiger seal at the same exact time and use the dragon fire jutsu. Hidan screams and I try not to feel satisfied. "Ah! This is so fucking annoying!" What. I see the blade that he uses and I hear the sounds of the other attack. Hidan is out of the ground now. A little ways away he makes a symbol on the ground using blood…and then he produces the blade that will initiate the ritual. I leap in front of Sasuke as he lashes out at him and the deed is done…he has my blood. I am now in danger. "Think you can hold them off, Kakuzu? Lord Jashin will very much like this sacrifice."

"Don't waste my time, Hidan." Kakuzu growls and I sigh. This is okay…this will be fine. We'll think of something. In the meantime, I can buy some time.

"Sasuke, calm down." I say, noticing the panic. He's angry. He feels helpless. "I know what I'm doing so relax and get ready to back up Sakura." I form a seal. "Reserve seal: release." The purple rhombus above my belly button expands and the black marks crawl over my body. I gasp as the stab in my stomach comes from nowhere. Now's not the time to dilly dally, I suppose. "Ninja art," Another wound…I'm bleeding badly. "Mitotic regeneration!"

"Minako!" Sakura and Ino shout at the same time. They know the repercussions of this jutsu.

"Why have it, if I don't use it?" I ask, smirking a little as I stand up. "You're going to have to work quite a bit harder if you want to kill me. I fear that I could go all day. I don't think my squad is in the habit of letting that happen though. So your clock is ticking you ugly son of a bitch." I look at the symbol on the ground. "That looks important. Should we try to break it? Or would that break your link with me?"

"You really think you'll get that close? I know you've got a little mole skulking around underground somewhere, but there's no way he could see where I am." He says, smirking. "And while I'm sure he's decently strong, I doubt he could crumble the earth. You've got two more, but they seem pretty useless." He begins trying to kill me again. "So I've got some time. You probably can't actually do this for very much longer. Mitotic regeneration? Sounds like a load of crap to me."

"Wanna know what else is going to sound like a load of crap but is going to be your downfall?" I ask and he smirks. "Cherry blossom impact." As I speak, Sakura slams into the earth. Sasuke and I leap out of the way and insects swarm Hidan. I cancel my reserve seal and draw my katana. Sasuke works in conjunction with me. "Dismemberment seems like our friend here! Even if he's not dead, if he doesn't have arms or a head for that matter, he can't touch us!"

"Damn it all!" Hidan shouts. "We've got to go now, Kakuzu!" The other man falls back and Hidan follows. I go to chase after them, but my legs give out.

"It's fine." Asuma says and then I see the Anbu chasing after them. One looks familiar…it's definitely Kenta-sensei. "Minako, are you alright?"

"Never better." I say as I push myself into a crouch. "That was a metric fuck ton of chakra that I just used. Holy shit." I let out a breath. "How badly did I piss of Shikamaru?"

"I'd want at least a thirty minute head start." Ino whispers and I raise my eyebrows. When I do something reckless, it's usually only a recommended fifteen minute head start. Shikamaru stalks over to me, lifts me up by the tops of my arms and then he kisses me.

"There! At least you'll know now before you do the next fucking idiotic thing to get yourself killed!" He yells and I look up at him with wide eyes.

"Okay…this is a little too much teenage angst for my taste." The guy who I still don't know his name says.

"What?" I ask, my voice is quiet. Confused. "But you…you like Temari?" I don't mean it to come out as a question. "That's why…What?"

"I told you. I don't like Temari. Not like that. Momentarily I thought I did." He says and I'm thankful that our friends have awkwardly dispersed. "I kept finding problems with her and I realized that it wasn't actually her that was the problem. It was you. Well…you weren't a problem. It's just that she wasn't you. She doesn't think I'm funny…"

"Well to be fair, neither do I." I say, it's a weak argument. He overheard me telling someone that he was actually kind of funny once. I'll never admit it.

"Ignoring that." He says and then his eyes soften. "You are literally the only person I can actually be myself around and not get shit for it. All this noise I have in my brain. It gets silenced when I'm with you."

"When I'm not turning your brain into applesauce like I just did." I say and he lets his head fall back. "I'm sorry." I say sarcastically. "I've thought that I was the stupid girl hopelessly in love with her best friend for about three years now and I'm fucking sick and tired. If I wanna kiss you, god damn it, I should be able to!" I don't know why I'm so angry.

"Fine!" He shouts back, just as angrily. We look at each other for a moment before I crack up.

"Damn it, Shikamaru." I say, trying to stop my laughing. "You pick horrible times to express your extreme emotions."

"I really hate to interrupt…but we should head back." Asuma says, he looks very amused. I'd be mad, but I'm just happy to see him alive. "You kids can duke it out back at the village." Oh wow…I'm really embarrassed. Well shit.


	10. Avoidance

**Welcome to chapter 10! I hope that you've been enjoying the story! As always, constructive criticism is appreciated. I've kind of had some writer's block and so I've resorted to fluffy bits. I haven't decided what I'm going to do for the next chapter quite yet, so there may be a delay in updates. I'm working diligently to get stuff figured out! I've been thinking about doing some little side story bits...sweet little Minamaru moments that don't make it into the main story. I may even write from other perspectives? Let me know what you think about that. Anyway, here's chapter 10!**

"You're really incredible, you know?" Ino asks as she places the flower crown on my head. It's our first day off in about a month.

"Darling, you'll need to be a little more specific." I say, raising an eyebrow at her. What is this about?

"You've been avoiding Shikamaru. That itself isn't the impressive part….the impressive part is that you are literally staying at his house." She says and I open my mouth to deny it…but I really can't. I literally leapt from a window to avoid capture.

"Well it isn't my fault. He's the one who pretended to like me so that I wouldn't die feeling like a loser for pining after him for all of these years." I say and she groans before she falls over.

"You are so incredibly stupid sometimes. Do you know that?" She asks, looking up at me. "He really does love you. Not like a sister. Not like a friend. You're the person he wants to spend the rest of his life with. You know he's too damn lazy to mess with dating around. Once he makes his mind up…that's it."

"That's not possible." I say, shaking my head. The wind tickles my neck and I shiver. "I never really thought about it before…but it's way too dangerous to be with me. Between Orochimaru and keeping Sasuke sane….I'm better off alone."

"Minako…" Ino says, her face becoming a little sad as opposed to annoyed. "Nobody is better off alone."

"Caring about people is stressful. So I'd rather be alone." I say stubbornly. She regards me dubiously. I sit cross-legged and play with the hem of my dress. Even though they're 'normal' clothes I still cheat and wear shorts underneath. Just in case. "If I keep telling myself that, it might become true."

"Then stop telling yourself that, because we all want to care about you. So much that you're going to hate me for this for a little while." I look over and she has a radio. "She's in position." I push off of the ground and begin running, full tilt through the forest. "Minako!" Ino yells, very annoyed. I make it out of the forested area and the first person I see is Kurenai.

"You've got to help me. They're trying to make me talk to Shikamaru and I'm not ready." I say and she smiles.

"My apartment is right here." She says and then we head upstairs and inside. I sigh as I sit down on the couch. "We have company."

"Who is it?" Asuma asks as he walks out of the kitchen. He freezes momentarily and I look up at him with a smirk.

"Ino owes me so much money once you guys go public." I say and he looks mildly annoyed for a moment before he laughs.

"It won't be too much longer." He says and I raise my eyebrows. "We've actually been meaning to talk to you."

"She always has had perfect timing. Hasn't she?" Kurenai says as she sits down beside me on the couch. "I'm pregnant, and we want you to be the god mother."

"You what?" I ask, beginning to feel uncomfortable with my back to the window. They wouldn't betray me, would they? "I would be honored, but why?"

"Because you saved my husband's life." She says and my look of shock relaxes into a soft smile. "By completely taking him out of the danger and placing yourself in that spot, which was incredibly stupid…but I'm incredibly grateful." I go to stand up to pace, but as I move my body stops responding to my commands. The blood drains from my face.

"Please tell me that it's Shikaku and not who I think it is, because that little rat is suppressing his chakra." I say as I am straightened out into a normal standing position. "Or Sachiko. Anyone but who I think it is. Because an elaborate plan just to talk to me is not only a waste of resources, but it is borderline…" Shikamaru steps into my line of sight. He looks unimpressed. "I knew I shouldn't have had my back to the window."

"Rookie mistake." He says simply and I glare at him. "Thanks, Asuma." If I could, I would turn my withering glare onto the man.

"Don't be mad at Kurenai, she had nothing to do with it." Asuma says and I nod…she would never betray me.

"So what are you going to do now? Because you know as soon as you release this jutsu I'm going out the window." I say simply. "I'm not ready to talk to you yet. You forcing me isn't making it any easier. I'm the wind, remember?"

"We'll both be old and decrepit by the time you're ready to talk. Best to rip off the bandage." He says and I note as Asuma and Kurenai retreat to the kitchen. "Please talk to me." His expression changes from the concentrated 'mission mode' to a soft expression. I sigh to express my irritation and he releases the jutsu. He's ready to chase me if I run, but I don't. I just sit down and cross my legs.

"You talk, I'll listen." I say and he nods as he sits down in the chair across from the couch.

"So you've talked about it with several other people." He can't sit still, so he's pacing now. "Including Ino, Sakura, Sasuke, and even my own Mother. You've been avoiding me for a solid month…the best part," This is said with a lot of sarcasm. "is that you have been staying at my house for the past month. How do you avoid a man in his own home?"

"That's pretty impressive though, isn't it?" I ask and he regards me dryly. "You have to admit how impressive that is."

"I'm not saying it isn't." He says and then he goes back to pacing. "Ino told me that you think I only kissed you because I thought you were going to die and that I didn't want you to feel like a loser for pining after me." He stops and looks at me for a moment, but then he's pacing again. "That's total bull shit. I've heard some pretty stupid things, but that really takes the cake. You don't get to decide if I'm in love with you or not. If you are, and I am as well. What is the problem?"

"Sit down, you're making me nervous." I say and he sits down on the chair. "The problem is that literally my entire family was slaughtered. I love you, yeah, but I don't want to put you in danger."

"You don't get to decide what danger I go into." He says and I make an annoyed noise. "Because I'm going to love you anyway. It's annoying how much I love you."

"Sorry for being troublesome." I mutter and he shoots me a look. "What? It's been annoying all these years watching Temari bat her stupid blue eyes at you."

"How do you think I feel? Almost literally every single guy in the village throwing themselves at your feet?" He asks, also as annoyed. "Lee's been especially annoying because for a while I thought he had a chance. You're too damn beautiful." He thinks for a moment. "Oh and don't even get me started on Kiba."

"That's harmless." I say with a roll of my eyes. "I intimidate him more than he's attracted to me. That would never turn into anything and he knows it." We have actually talked about that before. "When did you turn into such a jealous guy?"

"When did you become a jealous girl?" He fires back and my smirk drops into a scowl. "Is that why you never liked Temari?"

"Absolutely not. She was an asshole long before she was interested in you." I say and he looks amused. "You know that I wanted to rip her freakin' head off after how rude she was to Tenten."

"Yeah." He says and then he sighs. "So what's going on?" I shrug. "Have I proved to you enough that I'm not going anywhere? Regardless of what happens? Even if the world comes crashing down around us?" I feel the blush rise to my cheeks. "I've always been there, so it only seems fitting to go out that way too."

"Fine." I say and he smiles a little. "But you know how annoying I am. And how much of an asshole I am. You also know that it's useless to try and stop me when I set my mind to something."

"I think I'm pretty aware." He says, seeming a little amused. "I have known you all my life, you know."

"Yeah. I was there." I say sarcastically. "How do we stand each other?" I ask and he shrugs.

"The benefits outweigh the negatives." He says and I laugh. "Are you going to stop avoiding me?"

"No." I say and he groans. "It's your punishment for forcing me to talk to you. You don't get to be lazy."

"You know that I knew that I wasn't going to catch you when you were with Ino, right?" He asks and I raise my eyebrows. "Too open. No, I knew that I'd have to get you in a more closed-off space. Such as an apartment, but it wouldn't be your apartment. Sasuke would never agree to help me. But you know who would?"

"That sneaky bastard in the kitchen?" I ask and he nods. I hear Kurenai laughing. "How'd you get me here if Kurenai wasn't involved?"

"She takes a walk at the same time every day. I knew that if you asked, she would help you. So really it was simply a matter of getting the timing right and me relying on you being yourself." He says and I smirk.

"So from now on if I'm running from you, I need to think like you. Okay, thanks for the notes. We should get out of their hair." I say as I stand up. "I might pause my avoiding you just for today if you're especially nice."

"How much is that going to cost me?" He asks as we walk towards the door. I look over my shoulder and smirk at him. We exit the apartment and head down to the street. Where Sakura and Ino are waiting. I glare at them.

"You have a three second head start." I say as I pop my knuckles. "I may not look it, but I am fully armed."

"Bye!" They exclaim and then they take off, fearing for their lives. Of course I was bluffing….I don't have that many weapons on me.

"Now they're going to be terrified all day." Shikamaru says in a disapproving tone. I turn my gaze on him and raise my eyebrows.

"And whose fault is that?" I ask and he smiles a very little bit. "You are very lucky I think that you're cute." I begin trudging towards my favorite restaurant. Really it's more of a café, but I've spent many hours at this place studying and drinking coffee. There is actually a meal now call 'The Minako'. Essentially…it's enough food for four people. I'm walking normally by the time we get there. "Good morning, Reiko. We'll take 'The Minako' to go."

"Coming right up!" She says brightly. "Genji! We need a 'Minako' to go!" She calls back to the kitchen. "So how have things been?"

"Busy." I say exasperatedly. "I think this is my first day off in a month." She looks sympathetic. "No, I love it."

"Well, at least you're enjoying it. I like your hair, by the way. It looks really good that short." She says and my hand goes to my hair.

"Thanks. It happened on a mission. I Sakura'd…which just means that I was in a battle situation and cutting my hair was essential to my survival." I say and she looks concerned. "Not THAT essential, but it made it easier. Everything turned out fine."

"All's well that ends well, I suppose." She says brightly. "I heard you got a promotion, congratulations on that."

"I don't exactly think I was ready for it, but who am I to argue with the Hokage?" I ask and Shikamaru laughs. I whip my head around to glare at him and he sobers up immediately. Am I really that scary? Well…I guess he knows for a fact that I will immediately start avoiding him if he makes me mad. He must really want to spend time with me. I sigh to myself, I really am an idiot. Of course he does…he organized a big elaborate scheme just so that I would talk to him. I should really be nicer… I mean…this is what I've wanted. I wanted him to love me as much as I loved him and it appears to be like that's the case.

"Alright! Here's your food!" Reiko says and Shikamaru hands over the money before he takes the bag and we walk out. I slip my hand into his after a moment and he glances at me. I go to let go, but he tightens his hand around mine.

"I'm not sure if I like this." I say and he raises an eyebrow. "Switch hands. Maybe I'll like it a little better if my dominant hand isn't occupied."

"You sure are picky today." He says, but he obliges. I'm right, it feels more natural for me. "Better?"

"Yes." I say and he smiles, still looking straight ahead. He squeezes my hand. "What's that proud look?"

"Shut up." He says, but the smile only grows and I laugh. We make our way to our clearing…well it's stupid to call it ours, but we've spent enough down time there together. "Sorry I don't have a picnic blanket or anything."

"Who are you talking to?" I ask as I sit down on the ground. "The girl who can sleep literally anywhere as long as it is relatively flat and not made entirely of hornets."

"A few hornets are okay, though." He says as he sits down beside me and I laugh. "So what is 'The Minako'?"

"I'm surprised you've never heard of it, Mr. Stalker. It's just my snacky studying food." He begins taking the containers out of the bag. "When you can't find me, that's usually where I am."

"But of course you've just changed that." He says and I grin. "You're lucky that you're cute too."

"I'm very lucky." I agree and he shakes his head. "What? Something has to make up for my shit personality."

"That's not it." He says with a roll of his eyes. "You're just a handful sometimes. What with your supposed quick wit and how often you're an asshole."

"You love how much of an asshole I am and you know that I'm quick witted." I say, batting my eyelashes at him. "It's good to see that nothing has really changed." He shrugs.

"Why should it? We've always felt the same. The only difference is now we know for sure that the other feels the same." He says and I grab one of the dessert items.

"Truth." I say after taking a bite. "We never even have to kiss again because I know what it's like now." I nod.

"I guess if that's what you want. Though I do vaguely remember you yelling that you should be able to kiss me whenever you wanted to." He says and I narrow my eyes at him. He knows I'm not going to run away now. Asshole.

"It was a high emotion moment. Literally, if I hadn't been as obsessive with my medical training and forming that seal I would be dead." I say and his eyes look away from mine. "As things stand, the damage wasn't too bad. I've got plenty of cells to burn and still live to be a gray old lady."

"Have I ever told you that I'm glad you were obsessive with that?" He asks and I smile. He hasn't. "Not only did you save yourself…you saved Asuma. I don't think I can ever repay you for that."

"Eh, you don't have to repay me. He's been good to me too. Especially since Kenta-sensei is missing in action. Well…" I say and he nods. "Your sensei goes to the brink of insanity just to remind me of him and I think that's the sweetest thing anyone's ever done for me."

"Yeah, that's Asuma…he's a giver." He says and then I shake my head. "You're not glad that we talked?"

"I still feel weird." I admit, not looking at him. "You had to kiss me in front of everyone?"

"I was irrational." He agrees and then he takes my hand. "I am sorry about that…" I smile as I link my fingers with his.

"I know…you've said it about six thousand times outside of my room." I say and he glares at me. He was never sure that I was there…well now he is. "I thought we agreed that it was impressive how well I've avoided you?"

"I never said that." He says and I pout. He shakes his head. "It's been annoying. Every single morning I miss you by literally seconds. How do you do it?"

"I'm a better sensory type than you are." I say in a sing-song voice. "I don't pay such close attention in public because it's easier to disappear and then at Kurenai's I assumed that I wouldn't be betrayed. I had a pretty fast-paced mission yesterday and so I'm a bit exhausted today."

"I didn't know that. I'm sorry." He says and I shrug. My life is going to be full of missions like that. "I guess I didn't think of all the A-ranks you'd be getting since you're a jonin now."

"I'm a glorified messenger. They're generally ninety-eight percent sure that I'm going to run into trouble, but I'm pretty good at getting around the bad guys. And you of all people know how good I am at covering my trail. You had to use Ino to actually know where I'd be." I say and he grumbles something. "That should be comforting."

"It is." He says and then he looks at the food. "You know…I don't know why I'm surprised that there's so much."

"I need a lot of energy and Genji and Reiko always take such good care of me." I say somewhat defensively.

"I guess so." He says and then he looks at me more closely. "Hold still." I don't move as he brushes a piece of hair out of my face. "The flower crown is cute."

"That's all Ino." I say, my hand going to the flowers. "And what is it with you calling me cute?" I'm a little flustered.

"Because of that." He says, smirking at me. "Very little makes you squirm." I scowl at him. "Oh, I mean it…the reaction is just funny."

"So there is some dispute. Am I cute, pretty, or beautiful?" I ask and he looks like he wants to make a joke, but then he's serious.

"All three…but I think you're more beautiful now than the other two." He says and I raise an eyebrow.

"So when did I become beautiful instead of just cute?" I ask and he moves into a reclined position, hands folded behind his head.

"I don't know if it was so much you as my opinion changed. You've been pretty since we were little kids. I think that I thought you were truly beautiful one morning…this is stupid." He looks away. I move the food and lay down on my stomach beside him. I make him look at me. "Fine…It was the first time you went to the Sand village. When we slept together at that inn? I'd actually woken up earlier and I remember thinking that's what I wanted to wake up to for the rest of my life. Then I thought that was creepy, but I have always known what I wanted."

"Aren't I too pretty for your life plan, though?" I ask, tilting my head to the side. He gives me a look. "What? You said you wanted to marry a girl that wasn't too pretty and not too ugly. I know I'm above average in the looks department."

"It's not my fault you're too beautiful." He says and I shake my head. "But yeah…it was that morning. Your hair was kind of framing your face in this certain way and the way the sunlight was streaming through the window."

"Wow, you really know how to make a girl's heart race." I say with a smirk. He glowers at me. "I'm serious." I take one of his hands and hold two of his fingers to the pulse point on my neck.

"Nerd." He says and then he slips his arm around me and pulls me to his side. I smile as I turn onto my side and look up at the clouds. I listen to the birds chirping and his breathing. All sounds that make me feel normal.

"So…you really want to spend the rest of your life with me?" I ask and he hums. "How can you be so sure? I mean…we're only sixteen."

"I don't know how to explain it." He says after a little while. "And to be fair, I knew when I was fourteen." He leans down and kisses my forehead. "It just feels right. Stuff like that. That kiss the other day…"

"Meaning a month ago." I say and he tickles my side a little. I squeal and jump towards him.

"That was the most alive I've felt in a while." He says and I swear for a minute my heart stops. No one has ever said anything like that to me before. "And so I know that I'm sure. Of course if you can stand me for that long."

"It might be difficult." I say as I turn onto my stomach…half laying across his chest. "But I'm definitely going to have to show you how it's done."

"How what's don-" He starts, but I cut him off by kissing him very gently. One hand stays at the small of my back, but he brings his other hand to cup my cheek.

"Angry kisses are okay every now and again, but those are the kind of kisses I expect if we're going to do that sort of thing." I say when I pull back. He keeps his hand on my cheek. "I may be an asshole, but I'm a romantic at heart."

"I know." He says and I smile. "What? Your favorite part of our visit to the Sand Village was watching the sunset."

"You were jealous." I snicker. He looks indignant. "You spent the whole day flirting with Temari."

"I spent the whole day working. You're the one who went on a date with Kankuro." He says and I groan and try to roll away, but his arm tightens around me. "He's still got a thing for you, you know. He was disappointed that you weren't there to nurse him back to health when Naruto and the others saved Gaara."

"What was I doing then?" I ask, trying to think back that far. "It may have been something diplomatic. I was speaking on behalf of Lady Tsunade or something for some medical thing a few villages over. Ino and that Sai kid went with me."

"No big deal…just speaking for the Fifth Hokage." He says with a slight smirk. "You understand how incredible you are, right?"

"Eh." I shrug. "I got lucky. My big mouth could have either gotten me in trouble or the outcome that came about. I pretty much told her that she had to help Lee."

"I'll bet she's glad you did." He says and I shrug again. "You're annoying." I stick my tongue out at him. I hear a crow cawing then. "Well…that can't be good."

"I'd better follow it. Do you want to come with me?" I ask as I get up. He nods, organizing the take out bag so that we can pick it up on our way in. Once that's done, we take off. On the outside of the village, in the clearing that I first saw Itachi in when he told me why he killed everyone, he meets us. "Is everything okay?"

"I have reason to believe that Pain is going to attack the village soon." Itachi says and my blood runs like ice through my veins. "I don't have time to meet with Lady Tsunade. So I need you to go to her now."

"Do you know when?" I ask, going into business mode. I feel like I should have a weapon in hand.

"It could be as soon as a week from now." He says and I close my eyes. "Hidan and Kakuzu will be scouting the area the day after tomorrow."

"Well, we've got a plan on how to defeat them now." I say firmly. "So we'll take them out and that will make our chances of success greater. What are you going to do?"

"I will not be attacking." He says and I nod. "But I could die." I feel the blood leave my face. "You've known this as a possibility."

"It is not a possibility. We could fake your death now. They'd never know." I say and his look softens. "Itachi, I can't lose you. Do you understand? We have to talk to Sasuke about what happened."

"You." I hear Sasuke say and my day couldn't get any worse right now. "Get the hell away from her."

"Sasuke. Stop." I say, turning and standing in front of Itachi. "You need to listen." He glares at me.

"How long have you been talking to him." He demands, his voice is so cold now. "Minako!"

"Don't yell at her." Shikamaru says calmly. "It's been going on for a couple of years. She's been trying to think of a way to tell you without you flying off the handle, so try to prove her wrong for once."

"You're unnecessary." Sasuke says to Shikamaru and I raise my eyebrows. "Why didn't you tell me."

"Because I knew you would freak out like this. I'm not letting you kill him and that is final. You'll have to kill me first." I say, taking out a kunai.

"Minako." Itachi says, his tone is also cold. "This is unavoidable. I set this in motion all those years ago."

"Fuck that plan." I growl. "I'm sick and tired of everyone thinking that the Uchiha are a bunch of pricks who hate each other. Sasuke, listen to me. Please. I've never lied to you about this. I just didn't tell you."

"That's just as bad." He says darkly. I really don't want to have to aim low to get him to listen to me.

"Just as bad? Sasuke. You tried to kill me. If Shikamaru hadn't gotten his shit together and used shadow imitation on me when you were trying to leave for the Sound, then I would be dead. I put the kunai in your hand and you were going to end my life. You owe me this much." The force of my words has the desired effect. He falls to his knees. I walk over and sit down in front of him. I sense Itachi get a little closer. "Listen to me, okay?"

"This man tore our family apart." He says and I put my hands on his face so that he'll look at me. "Why?"

"Father was planning a coup d'état. He had Itachi spying on the village, but Itachi didn't want to send the village into civil war and so he was a double agent. He was ordered to take everyone out, but not by the Hokage." I explain gently.

"Couldn't he have just killed everyone involved in the plans?" He asks, sounding like a kid. "Why were we allowed to survive?"

"Because we were the hope of the clan. You and I…we are strong. We have kind hearts. I know that what happened turned you cold, but for just a little while you'd started to warm up." I say, smiling softly. "Yeah? You've been having fun with Sakura and Naruto…you've been joking around with Shikamaru and Shikaku. You've been helping Yoshino around the house. Teasing me mercilessly about Shikamaru. Anyway, there is something in our family called the curse of hatred. Brother against brother…it started with Madara Uchiha and his brother. Taking the Sharingan from one another…but I honestly believe that it was my destiny to end the cycle. So I can't allow you to kill Itachi, because then you'd be becoming fate's bitch and my brother isn't a bitch." Sasuke rests his forehead against mine. "I know that you may never be able to forgive him…but please don't kill him. I can't lose him too, Sasuke. I need you both so much." I drop my hands from his face and hug him. "And we're going to be fighting for our lives soon. And I just need you to promise me that you won't kill him. Please." I'm crying…but I feel like it's an okay time to cry.

"Is it true?" Sasuke asks and I'm glad that it isn't directed at me. He's holding me protectively now.

"Yes." Itachi says, his tone no longer cold. "Had father been allowed to live he would have thrust the village into civil war and that was not something that I wanted for the two of you. The downfall of the Uchiha family would have happened one way or another. This way I was able to keep the two of you, even if it meant that you hated me."

"He has been protecting us." I say softly. "Do you remember that one time? When I was attacked by that man?" There have been a lot of men who have fought me, but only one has ever done so with intentions other than killing me. He nods. "Itachi killed him, because I was too afraid to do it myself. So I guess I did lie once, but to be fair I didn't even want you to know about the situation anyway. But anyway…he's been keeping Orochimaru away from us…as best as he can."

"I can't just forgive him." He's looking specifically at me now. "All these years…I've had this goal…"

"I know, but if you kill him…not only are you giving him what he wants, you're going to feel so empty afterwards." I say and he looks very contemplative.

"This isn't over by any means." He finally says and I feel a little bit of relief. "And I'm not ready to accept you as a member of my family." He's very possessive over the family part. "But for now, I won't kill you. If Mina weren't here, you would be dead."

"Then I will always be here." I say firmly. Then I whack him on the back of the head. "I was ready to trust you and everything. Get your ass back to the village. Those are my orders. I'm pulling rank, asshole." I sigh as I stand up.

"I have to go now." Itachi says and I feel panic. "Go straight to Lady Tsunade." I nod but then I hug him hard. "Everything will be alright. I will still protect you."

"Worry about yourself." I say and he chuckles. "I started with two brothers, it better fucking end that way."

"Go now." He says and I nod. Sasuke, Shikamaru, and I begin heading back towards the village. I don't hold back as I blast through the forest. Sasuke has trouble keeping up with me and Shikamaru is a little behind. We make it back into the village and I travel by rooftop to the Hokage tower. I enter, trying to appear not frazzled and it must work because no one stops me. I knock on the door.

"Come in." Lady Tsunade calls from the other side and I open the door and walk in. "Minako, what's wrong?"

"I just spoke with my brother." I say and she doesn't understand my meaning. The door is closed now. "Itachi sent one of his crows to find me and it lead me to him. He told me that Pain is planning an attack on the village. It could be as soon as next week. Also, Hidan and Kakuzu will be in the area the day after tomorrow, so I would like to request special permission to take a team to destroy them. It will improve our chances drastically if we have two less assholes to fight. Specifically the immortal ones."

"Alright. You may have Shikamaru, Ino, and Choji. I just sent Junichi and Izanagi out, so I'm afraid you don't have them." She says and I nod. "I'll send another team along. I'll have to think on who it is, report here tomorrow morning."

"Yes, ma'am." I say and then I bow my head. "Do you think that we'll be okay?" I ask, meaning the village.

"I don't intend to let my grandfather's village fall to some asshole." She says and I smile. "Go on."

"Yes ma'am." I say and then I walk out. The village is definitely going to be on red alert now. When I get downstairs, Sasuke and Shikamaru are just arriving. "I know that one hundred percent for sure I'm taking Team Ten out after Hidan and Kakuzu. She's going to put together another team."

"Of course I get left out." Sasuke says and I give him a look. "What? All I'm saying is that you never pick me to go on missions with you."

"I was assigned Team Ten. So get your head out of your ass. There's still a chance you'll go." I say and then we're moving towards the Nara household. Once inside I immediately go back to my room and begin going over my weapons. I need to make more paper bombs.

"Minako." Shikamaru says, he's leaning on the door frame. "Are you sure you're okay to take on Hidan again?"

"Yeah, I need to thank him." I say with a smirk at my…whatever he is. "If not for him, you probably never would've gotten fed up with my reckless behavior."

"It was only a matter of time." He says dryly and I smile. "But are you sure you're going to be able to handle this? He caught you last time."

"Okay, and it was fine. So it'll be fine if he catches me again. I've got a fantastic team to back me up. That and we have our plan." I say and he sighs as he walks over and sits down on the bed. "What?"

"You're troublesome." He says and I smile as I reach over and pat his cheek. "It's kind of funny though…To walk in here and see you all innocent looking with flowers in your hair and you're sharpening knives."

"Good thing you've always known better than to think I'm innocent. I'm pretty sure it's good, but can you check my katana?" I ask and he hums before he reaches over and picks up the blade. "I hate you for having such long limbs."

"It's not my fault you're tiny." He says and I glare at him. "Was tiny a bad word to use?" He asks innocently. I roll my eyes before I start putting my kunai and shuriken up. "And your katana is in perfect condition…as it always is."

"Not always, but nearly always." I say as I set my case on the nightstand. "If I don't do it soon, remind me later to make some more explosive notes."

"Why don't you try to relax the rest of the day?" He asks and I raise an eyebrow. "It's your day off…and we're not facing them until the day after tomorrow. So prepare tomorrow. Today we should do something."

"Hey, you got a pretty decent date. And I don't intend on dying or letting you die." I say and he gives me a look.

"Humor me? For once?" He asks and I smirk. "Fine, but I'll be annoying and stay right here the entire time. In the way."

"I believe that would turn it into a move or be moved situation." I say and he gets a challenging look on his face. "You're lucky I'm exhausted."

"I do consider myself a lucky guy." He says as he sets my katana back where he had picked it up from. I lay down and scooch over before I pat the spot beside me. He lays down and I smile up at him.

"You've also grown sentimental in your old age." I say and he grunts in response. "I guess I can't complain too much. You've gotten considerably less lazy in your old age as well."

"How can I be lazy when I've been friends with you? Taking care of you has been a full time job." He says and I raise my eyebrows. "I know I do it to myself, but man. You could try to help a little bit at least."

"I do me. You do you." I say and he shakes his head. "There are only a few times where you've actually had to save my life. I think that's a pretty good track record."

"I guess." He says and I hum, closing my eyes. "Take a nap." I open them again, giving him a look of challenge. "You need it."

"You just want to take a nap yourself." I say and he shrugs. He doesn't seem to be too tired. I sigh and close my eyes again. "Again, you're lucky."

* * *

"Everything hurts." I say as I lay on the ground, staring up at the sky. Hidan is effectively buried in the pits of the Nara family's forest. Kakuzu has been dealt with. Nobody died. My team is alive. Kakashi's team is alive. "So now we go home." I pick myself up and Sasuke looks vaguely worried about me.

"So now we go home." Kakashi agrees and then we're traveling through the forest. Everyone looks a little worse for wear, but we are alive. That's the important part. "I suppose after all these years, I finally see where Sasuke's neuroticism comes from."

"Gotta keep him on his toes." I say brightly. "If he weren't such an asshole when he was worried about me, it'd be kind of cute."

"I'm right here, you know." My brother says dryly and I chuckle. "And I am not neurotic."

"Maybe just a little neurotic. I never realized just how protective you were over your team. I thought you were going to rip Hidan's head off yourself when he insulted Sakura." I say, glancing over my shoulder. "And then the artful way that you and Naruto fucked Kakuzu up. Color me impressed."

"Thanks, Minako." Naruto says with a bright smile. "I'm just glad we got it done! I'm so ready for a big bowl of ramen!"

"I'm ready for a nice hot shower, myself. I feel like I'll never get this dirt out from under my nails." Ino says with a sigh.

"Hmm…would it be improper to carry on with our normal interactions since I'm your squad leader right now? Ah, oh well." I say and then I clear my throat. "I could help. Wink."

"I think that you're actually supposed to wink, instead of saying it." She says and I snort with my laughter.

"I would have, but I don't want to hit a tree." I say and I see Shikamaru shake his head out of the corner of my eye. "Uh oh, I think we made Shikamaru jealous."

"He'll get over it." Ino says and I snicker. "How do people stand to be around us together?"

"Well my brother sort of has to because he's obligated to stay by my side since I'm his twin and everything. Sakura…she secretly wants in on the action." I say and the girl sputters. I snicker. "You know we're only joking."

"Sure." Shikamaru says and I wink at him. "You know, to solve the fan boy problem we almost asked you to be her fake girlfriend."

"And that was to solve the problem?" Ino asks and I laugh. "Oh well, at least we know Shikamaru has pure thoughts."

"Can we be done with this conversation? Please?" Sasuke asks and I laugh again. Glad for some comedic relief after such a tough mission.

"How did I get stuck with a bunch of kids?" Kakashi asks himself. I snicker, but end the conversation there. We arrive back in the village and go straight to Lady Tsunade.

"So I take it your mission was successful." She says as she stands up from behind her desk.

"Yes ma'am." I say simply. "There were no serious injuries and the problem has been taken care of."

"Now we just have the problem of the rest of the organization." She says, folding her hands behind her back. "Alright. Good work. Get home and rest up. We'll need you in top condition." I bow respectfully before I turn and head out. I am so excited to head back and take a nice hot shower before I sleep for six thousand years.

"So what are you doing tonight, Minako?" Ino asks, using me as a leaning post. I sag under her weight.

"If all goes as plans, not moving." I say dryly. "That guy was a real prick. You're lucky you got to play support."

"I think you did a great job, Minako." Choji says and I smile at my friend. "And Shikamaru did a great job of not freaking out."

"He knew I'd kick his ass if he were anything but professional." I say affectionately. "Of course that would have been after we got rid of the problem."

"Of course." Shikamaru says dryly. "But not moving sounds like a great plan." I chuckle and then I sigh. I'm really tired.

"Alright. We're going now." Sasuke says, because the little bastard finally figured out how to read when I'm actually tired. He slings me across his back and I make a noise of protest. "That was pitiful."

"You're pitiful." I counter artfully. "Well it appears as though I'm being kidnapped. Great work, Team." I add brightly. "Onward, Silver." I point forward and Sasuke rolls his eyes before he takes off. "You really should say goodbye to your team. It's rude to just leave."

"Yeah. They're used to it." He says and I roll my eyes. Shikamaru catches up then. I smile at him, but I can tell that something is wrong. It probably has to do with me being reckless or something. We arrive at the Nara household and Shikamaru leads the way inside.

"We're home." Shikamaru calls out and Yoshino meets us. "Everything is fine. She's just a little tired."

"I could've made it home myself, but Sasuke is a mother hen." I say as I jump down from my brother's back. I don't even stumble. "See? I stuck the landing. As it turns out, burning an immortal douche bag to a crisp is quite tiresome."

"I can imagine. Do you want something to eat before your eternal nap?" Yoshino asks and I snicker at how well she's picked up on my humor over the years.

"I think that sounds great. Give me a chance to take a shower and I can help." I say and she smiles.

"Uh huh." She says, but she doesn't mean it. "Sure. Go take a shower." I give her a look before I trudge off to my room and grab my things. My shower is swift, but I don't finish before Yoshino is done with anything I could've helped with. Sneaky woman. I give her a look as I slide into my place at the table. "So why were you covered in dust?"

"Shikamaru blew a hole in the ground big enough to hold several elephants." I explain just as he enters. "But we filled it back in."

"You two." She shakes her head, but I can see the relief in her eyes. "So how did it feel taking orders from your girlfriend?"

"Come on, Mom." He says, sitting down. "We haven't even talked about that yet. You're making her uncomfortable."

"You shouldn't have tried to pin that on me." I say with a sinister smile. "Because I'm not uncomfortable at all. 'Girlfriend' is just such a lame title."

"Do we really need to talk about this now?" He asks and I chuckle. He's actually embarrassed…not annoyed like he's trying to make it.

"Why? When we can settle it? You're my Shikamaru. How's that?" I ask and he just regards me for a moment. "What? It's not like anything about our relationship has changed. We've argued like an old married couple our entire lives."

"She's right you know." Yoshino pipes in from the kitchen. "You two have belonged to each other since you were little."

"Yeah, so see? You're my Shikamaru and I'm your Minako. We're Minamaru, if you will. Don't ask, Ino and Sakura came up with it." I say and he smiles, it looks a little goofy, but I'm able to suppress my laughter. "So how'd it feel to take orders from your Minako?"

"Annoying. As always." He says and I narrow my eyes at him. "I won't argue that they were good orders, but it was still annoying."

"I'm good at being bossy." I say with a shrug. "But I think I'll be much happier when things go back to normal. When we're not on red alert anymore."

"You and me both." Yoshino says and I know it's because she misses Shikaku. He's not been coming home until late and then leaving early.

"What comforts me the most about this situation is that you're a kunoichi." I say and she looks over and smiles a little. "I'd like to see some asshole try to take you down."

"I'd like to see them try to get close enough." Shikamaru says and I smile. He may complain about her being scary, but he's so protective. "Don't give me that look."

"I can't help it. You're just so cute when you're being protective." I say as I try to reach over and pinch his cheek. He grabs my wrist. "I haven't pinched your cheeks in a month."

"Yeah, and I'd like to continue the streak. That's so annoying." He says and I reach with my other hand. He grabs that wrist. "Mina, please." He's exasperated.

"Only because you said please." I say as I stop struggling. He lets go and I smile. "I can read your mind right now, wanna know what you're thinking?"

"You want to tell me." He says and I snicker. "How can you have so much energy? You were dragging all the way home."

"You're thinking that I'm exasperating and that you should've listened to your father." I say and he raises his eyebrow. "All fathers warn their sons about girls like me."

"And what do you mean by a girl like you? You're the kind of girl all mothers wish that their sons would fall for." Yoshino says as she sets a couple of dishes down on the table.

"See, I'm the girl that moms love. But that just means that I'm bossy and can keep her son in line." I say and she suppresses laughter…only barely.

"I won't get Dad in trouble." Shikamaru says and then Yoshino shoots him a look. "What? All he said was that even crabby women have a soft spot for the people they love. I'm the one who called you crabby." I smack his arm.

"Yoshino Nara is not crabby. You're just a lazy asshole." I say and Yoshino can't contain her laughter now.

"It's starting." She says as she laughs all the way back to the kitchen. Shikamaru has a somewhat serene expression on his face which is a nice change from the stress he was displaying earlier.

* * *

I feel the stress leave my shoulders as I see my older brother walking towards me. I don't know where the others are because the fighting has just stopped. Naruto has defeated the leader of the Akatsuki. My brother no longer wears that cloak. I feel the tears fill my eyes as I run and jump into his arms. He lived through it. We both lived through it. I'm going to have my family back.

"You fought well." He says and I laugh incredulously. After everything, I guess that is a good enough thing to say.

"Thanks. You're not so shabby yourself." I say and then I hear Sasuke. "He's warmed up to the idea a very little bit…."

"We should go see him then." He says as he releases me. I drag him through the crowd by the hand. Everyone is celebrating because we made it. Yes there were casualties, but not as many as there would have been had we not had Itachi's warning. Had we not taken down Hidan and Kakuzu. Had Deidara and Sasori still been alive. I see Sasuke and my heart dips into the pit of my stomach. He's injured. I release Itachi's hand and run to Sasuke. He's got a hand over his shoulder.

"Idiot! Why didn't you see a medic!?" I shout at him as I heal the wound. "I swear, of all the dumb things you do."

"I needed to make sure that you were okay. I lost sight of you and I've been worried this whole time." He says, hugging me as I finish healing the gash on his arm. "And besides, it wasn't bleeding that badly."

"More like you learned that trick I do with chakra to control the bleeding." I say dryly. "Though I'm glad you did. That could've been bad."

"Itachi…" Sasuke says and I take a step back, prepared to defend him should Sasuke lose his shit. Which has been known to happen…I've got the scar to prove it on my shoulder. "Relax, Mina. I can't forgive you for it…but I'll entertain the idea of allowing you back into the family."

"Like you're the head of the clan. Everyone knows that I keep the Uchiha's together." I say with a roll of my eyes. "He's never not been part of our family so get your head out of your ass. He is welcome home anytime he wishes."

"And where is home?" Itachi asks and I look at him briefly before I look over the village. Surprisingly, our apartment building is still standing. There's damage and I don't know how extensive it is, but it's still there.

"We've got a cozy little apartment. Looks like it's still standing. So I guess we'll just have to see how things go. We've barely touched the money that was left to us and so we could afford to build a house for the three of us." I say and he smiles a little. "I've got both of my boys now, and so nothing will tear us apart again."

"And because Minako Uchiha says it, it will be so." Izanagi says as he walks up. I throw my arms around him. "Jun is checking on his mom and then he said he'd meet up with us." He then looks at Itachi. "So, you're the older brother."

"Indeed I am." Itachi says, amused. "It is nice to finally be able to meet the infamous Team Kenta. I hope you have some good stories about Minako as a genin."

"As a genin. As a chunin. Hell, even some as a jonin. Your sister is crazy…but it's been an honor to fight alongside her all these years." He says and I punch his shoulder. "Did you know she fought Hidan and almost died?"

"I did not almost die." I say with a roll of my eyes. "And if you'll remember, the second time around we got rid of him."

"He forgot to mention that in between his return from that encounter and his demise. That's probably good for him." Itachi says and I shake my head. Protective older brother. "Where is Shikamaru?"

"That's a great question." I say as I look around. Worry grips at my heart and then I spot a small group of spikey pony tails. "Ah, found them."

"You're terrible." Sasuke says and I snicker. "You know that just because there's a spikey pony tail, that doesn't mean there's a Nara there, right?"

"At least ninety-six percent of the time there is. I've kept data." I say and he shakes his head. I don't see Shikamaru in that group though. "I'll be right back. Izanagi, keep an eye on Sasuke. Remember what I told you." I make my way over to Ichiro. He's Toshio's eldest son. "Hey Ichiro, have you seen Shikamaru?"

"He's looking for you too. I saw him with his dad over that way." He says, indicating which way he means.

"Thanks." I say with a smile before I begin searching for him. I finally see Shikamaru and my relief is even greater. His dad nods at me and Shikamaru turns around. I see the subtle change in his expression that indicates he's not worried anymore and I smile. He meets me half way and I hug him. "I tried to play spot the Nara to find you, but I only found Ichiro."

"Told you it wouldn't work every time." He says and I laugh. He lets out a breath slowly, trying to hide it from me. He's so relieved.

"Itachi survived." I say and I feel him press his lips to the top of my head. "Lady Tsunade is going to pardon him. Since the Akatsuki is done for."

"That's great." He says, squeezing me a little. "So I'm not going to let go, alright? You're never going to do anything reckless again."

"In your dreams, Nara." I say as I look up at him. "It's a nice thought, but I'm capable of handling it. I'm a jonin, you know."

"Yeah, yeah. I hear ya." He says with a roll of his eyes and then he leans down and kisses me gently. Then he kisses my forehead before he rests his head on top of mine. "Let's go."

"Oh yeah, I should introduce you to my brother as my boyfriend. Isn't that how these kinds of things work? I don't have a dad to introduce you to, so I guess it'll have to do. Since technically, Itachi would take over as patriarch." I say as I take his hand and begin walking.

"This should be good." Shikaku says and I laugh. "It's good to see that you made it through, Minako."

"She's too spiteful to die." Shikamaru says and I offer a 'fair enough' shrug. I wave as I spot my little family. Izanagi hasn't had to subdue Sasuke, so I mark that up as a win.

"I have recovered the Nara's." I say, holding up my hand linked with Shikamaru's. "Well, two of them. I couldn't possibly gather up every single Nara, that's a big job. I'd need to borrow Naruto." We're finally standing in front of everyone now. "So Itachi, there's some news."

"It's hardly news." He says and I glower at him. "Don't you remember what I always used to say?"

"Yes. No one else needs to hear that." I say, my tone threatening. "If you know what's good for you. I can fight back now."

"Oh, I don't doubt it." He says, slightly amused smirk on his face. "But you're not always around, my dear little sister."

"Oh, but I am, my annoying older brother." I say, Shikaku laughs. Shikamaru tenses beside me.

"It can't be any worse than what I used to say to Shikamaru concerning the little crush that you two had on each other." The older man says and I gape at him.

"Anyway," Izanagi cuts me off as I open my mouth to deny it. "At least it's him and not one of the creepy fan boys who used to always try and smell your hair."

"I…I have to agree with you." Sasuke says and then he shakes his head. "I don't get it, she's so weird looking."

"Take a look in the mirror, asshole." I say dryly and then I shake my own head. "We must be in some form of shock right now. Nothing should feel this normal."

"If this is normal, then I'm glad to be back." Itachi says, patting the top of my head. "Now I can really keep an eye on you."

"We need all the help we can get." Shikamaru mutters and I elbow him in the side. I then sigh.

"I'm probably going to see if Lady Tsunade has any orders for me as far as the medic corps goes." I say as I roll my shoulders.

"I'll go with you. It's probably safe to say that you four could stand to start helping out where you can find work to be done." Shikaku says and then the two of us head off in the direction we sense our Hokage. "Our house is open to you should you need it. Itachi as well."

"I appreciate it." I say with a nod. "The closer we get, the more damage I can see on my apartment building." I look around then. "It could've been a lot worse casualty-wise."

"The intelligence you gathered is to thank for that." He says and I open my mouth to deny it. Itachi is the one who did the intelligence gathering. "You were part of it."

"Oh fine. Only because I know it's useless to argue with you." I say and he chuckles. "I'd do anything for this village."

"And so that's why you can forgive him." Shikaku says and I don't respond. Have I forgiven him?

"I haven't completely forgiven him, but I understand why he did it. Even after it happen I never stopped loving him. I mean…he took care of me when my father would be less than thrilled with me. Especially when I expressed extreme distaste at the idea of being in an arranged marriage with your son." I say and he hums. "Ungrateful girl is what he would call me."

"Regardless of his views on having a daughter, he was quite proud of you." He says and I glance at him. "He wanted to secure a safe position in life for you."

"Maybe that's why my body is against doing things the safe way." I say thoughtfully. "No matter what his thoughts were…all that matters now is my own thoughts. I did sort of take over the mantle. I know the exact moment I did, too."

"I was there." He says and I chuckle. "Though it was cute watching Shikamaru take care of you."

"Shikaku." I say, willing my cheeks not to be pink. The man actually laughs at me. "What's so funny?"

"Suppressed laughter all these years." He says and I shake my head. "Yoshino's favorite part was how often he held your hand."

"Only because that's what I did when Sasuke was upset." I mutter and he laughs harder. "You're going to run into something if you don't pay attention to where you're going." Oh, he thinks he's so funny. "Now I know why Shikamaru thinks he's so funny."


	11. Mr Emotional

**Welcome the chapter eleven! Sorry for taking so long to update, but I'd lost inspiration for the longest time! I'm still not totally happy with this chapter, but I feel like it has it's strong points! Thank you so much for your patience. I'll try to update sooner next time! Anyhow, enjoy the chapter! Sorry it's so short!**

"Well, here we are." I say as we stand before the Uchiha stronghold outside of the village.

"Do you want me to wait outside?" Ino asks and I shake my head. We walk forward and I release the seal on the door before we step inside. "This place is incredible. I didn't know that anything like this existed out here."

"It's sort of like an outpost. I remember Father bringing Sasuke and I here one time. No clue why." I chuckle as I lead the way towards the room that holds my mother's things. I found them when I was here with Lady Tsunade…looking for the original plans for the village's defenses. I release the seal on that door and head inside. I open the chest and see the scroll laying there…the only contents of this chest. "This is it."

"So what exactly is it?" Ino asks, looking over the ornate scroll. I smile at her as I pick it up. I'd love to go through my mom's stuff some more, but I'm on a mission right now. A personal mission, but a mission none the less.

"Come on and I'll show you." I say and then I lead the way out…resetting the seals as I go. I set the scroll down on the ground and open it just enough to see the past four names that have been signed to this scroll.

"Oh, it's a contract." Ino says and then she reads the name. "It was your mother's summon…"

"Mhmm…and now they'll be my summon. The sparrows are great because they do so many jobs…there are warriors and messengers…healers." I say and she smiles.

"So they're perfect for you." She says and I shrug. I prick my finger on the tip of a kunai before I sign my name. I roll it back up before I make the seals and perform the summoning jutsu. A sparrow who is larger than a normal one appears in a puff of smoke.

"Summoner, you'll have to forgive us. My master, Lady Suzume has sent me in her stead. My name is Kimiko, how may I serve you?" She says, bowing to me. She then looks at me. "You're Mikoto's daughter! Oh, excuse me." She tries to look solemn again, but her excitement can't be contained. "Okay, I'm sorry! But I can't believe it! I've always hoped that you would end up becoming our summoner! Your mother was so kind…but that's rude of me to say. I'm so sorry. Gah. Lady Suzume is going to be so angry with me."

"Hey, relax." I say with a smile. "It's not rude at all…I'm glad that you have good memories of my mom." I sit more comfortably. "I'm sorry for summoning you without really needing anything. I just wanted to make sure that I could do it if I needed to."

"You're fine." She says, waving a wing in dismissal. "We like meeting our new summoners as soon as possible. Lady Suzume would have come here herself the moment you signed, but she's overseeing the ceremony of the new hatchlings. This is my first big job as her student."

"Well congratulations." I say and she looks bashful. "But new hatchlings sounds important, you can get back."

"Thank you, ma'am." She says, bowing again. "Should you need anything at all, you are welcome to summon us at any time." She then disappears in a puff of smoke.

"Okay…she was adorable." Ino says and I grin my agreement as I sling the scroll across my back and stand up.

"Definitely…I'm really glad that I did this. Thanks for coming with me." I say and she throws her arm around my shoulders.

"Come on, Minako, you're my best friend. I'll always be there for you, no matter what." She says and I squeeze her hand. "We should get back before your boyfriend has heart failure."

"Oh, he'll be fine." I say, waving a hand in dismissal. "Just because we're dating doesn't mean that I have to let him know where I am at all times. Now if I were going somewhere alone, he'd be a good person to let know. But I'm not alone, I'm with you. You're not going to let anything bad happen and together we're a bad ass team."

"Hell yeah." She says and I grin. "And I know you're right…but I also know how much he worries about you." I blow raspberries and then take off in the direction of the village. She laughs as she follows me. Once we're inside I head for my apartment. "I've got to watch the shop for a while. I'll see you later."

"See ya!" I call brightly to my friend as she breaks away. I enter my apartment and put the scroll with my other scrolls in the chest at the bottom of my closet. I look at the clock and hum. I've got two hours before I need to meet up with Sakura. I have enough time to take a nice walk. I check over my supplies briefly before I head out, locking the door behind me. As I reach the bottom of the stairs, someone runs into me. He falls and cracks his head. He immediately ties to sit up. "Whoa, hold on there a second." I crouch beside him. "You hit your head pretty hard, you could have a concussion." I begin checking him over.

"I'm so sorry." He says, staring up at me with wide eyes. "I'm sort of new around here…"

"It's fine." I say with a smile. "You've got a bit of a concussion. I'll reduce the swelling and you should be okay."

"Oh, do you work at the hospital? I've seen some of the healers there and they're pretty great." He says and I smile.

"I'm a field medic." I say with a smile. "My name is Minako." I finish reducing the swelling and help him sit up. "How's that feel?"

"Much better. Thanks. I'm Shinji." He says as he feels the back of his head. I stand up and offer my hand. He takes it and stands. "I'm really sorry about running into you."

"You're fine. Really. I should've been paying more attention to my surroundings." I say and he flushes a little. "You were in a pretty big hurry, are you looking for something?"

"I got kind of turned around. I'm looking for the shopping district and I ended up here…" He says as he looks around. A lot of shinobi live in this district and so of course, shinobi activity is okay.

"I'll get you there safely. Sorry, the shinobi type can be real assholes sometimes. Especially the testosterone fueled assholes who live near me." I say, waving to one of my neighbors. "He's not so bad. But I'm sure you ran into a lot of dick bags."

"Yeah, sort of." He says with a bit of a laugh. "You're not like any lady I've ever met before." Something seems off about this guy…

"My brother would argue that I'm not a lady at all." I say and that causes him to laugh. "I am, it's just the higher the rank you are the less shit you can take…especially when you appear as non-threatening as I do."

"Yeah…I'm pretty sure you could rip my head off. I respect that." He says with a nod. "So have you lived here your whole life?"

"Indeed I have. Shinobi start training at a very early age. And I'm only seventeen." I say and he sputters. "What?"

"You don't look seventeen." He says and I chuckle. "Sorry…that was very inappropriate of me. So…uh…what rank are you?"

"Jonin." I say and his eyes widen. So he must have some understanding of how it works. What is his motive though? Am I his target or is he just trying to gather information on the village? "It's really only a formality so that I'd stop annoying Lady Tsunade."

"Well I've seen what jonin level shinobi are capable of. So you must be pretty impressive." He says and I shrug. I turn down an alley.

"We'll avoid the lunch crowd this way." I say and he hums. "So what brings you to Konoha?"

"You." He says and I stop. "And it doesn't appear as though you're as heavily armed today. That's good news for me."

"It's not wise to underestimate your opponent." I say as I turn to face him. "What do you want?"

"It's really very simple…I just need you to come with me." He says and I raise an eyebrow. "There's someone who would like to formally meet you."

"I'm afraid that's not going to happen." I say and he smirks. "I'll give it to you…you're really good at suppressing your chakra. I couldn't tell at all at first."

"What gave me away?" He asks, taking a step closer. I don't have a lot of room to attack in here. That's good for me though, because if I don't then he certainly doesn't.

"Intuition." I say as I back towards the end of the alley. It was really ballsy of him to try something inside of the village. I'm surrounded by fellow shinobi. Unless he has friends. There's someone else in the alley now and they don't feel friendly. I prick my thumb against my tooth and use summoning jutsu. Two sparrows appear and they fly after the other guy. I hear his screams as they attack. "Two against one isn't fair." I draw a kunai just as he attacks. I greatly underestimated his strength, though. He grabs me by the neck and slams me against the wall.

"Go. To. Sleep." He says, slamming me against the wall with each hit. I'm struggling though.

"Milady!" Someone shouts…probably a sparrow, but then Shinji gets a fist to the side of his head. I fall to the ground, but scramble into a good fighting stance to support whoever just saved me. I glance over. It's Asuma. "Ma'am! I found reinforcements! My brother took care of the other one!"

"Good work." I say, taking in the situation. Shinji is unconscious and so is his friend. "You guys were great. Thanks so much for your help."

"It was our honor to serve you, Lady Minako." He says and then they disappear. I sigh as Shikamaru lands in front of us.

"You missed the party. But that's okay because it was troublesome. Though you could be useful in carrying the other asshole off to be interrogated." I say and he glowers at me. "Or I can try and carry him. It'll be faster if you do it."

"I'll get them…you'll want to report in to Lady Tsunade. I'm sure she'll be interested to hear about what went on here." Asuma says as he throws Shinji over his shoulder.

"Thanks for stepping in." I say and he shrugs as he walks over and picks up the other guy. They look puny compared to him. He takes off then. "They're lucky you weren't the one to find me."

"They are." Shikamaru agrees as he walks over and lifts my chin so that he can get a better look at my neck. "Come on. I'm interested in hearing what happened too." I sigh.

"You don't have to come in after every single fight, you know." I say and he smiles a little bit.

"Yeah, I know. But it irritates you more that way." He says and I scowl at him. "Aren't you cute?"

"And it seems as though you're looking for a punch to the face." I mutter before I begin heading towards the Hokage's tower. "I think they were Orochimaru's men."

"I didn't get the creepy snake vibe from them." He says, easily keeping pace with me. "How are you so sure?"

"Shinji said he wanted to take me to formally meet someone. The only person who I know has it out for me is someone I've never actually met." I say and then I land in front of the Hokage tower.

"So you're on a first name basis with your attacker now, are you?" He asks and I raise an eyebrow.

"Why? Jealous that another guy was trying to throw me around?" I ask and he gives me a look. I smirk as I climb the stairs. Maybe one of these days I'll actually come here with nothing to report. I'll just be stopping by to say hello.

* * *

"The next asshole who tries to wage war against anyone is getting this katana shoved so far up their ass they'll be spitting metal out for the rest of their life." I say darkly, glaring at the ground.

"I'd hate to be the shinobi who tries to cross you and start another war." A familiar voice says and I turn to see Toshio Yoshida.

"You might be surprised to hear that I get that quite a bit. So what brings you towards former HQ?" I ask and he rubs the back of his neck. "Ah, you ran into one of my mother hens."

"Two of three." He says and I raise an eyebrow. "Itachi and Shikamaru. They weren't quite ready to move out, so they sent me ahead to check on you."

"That's my son." Shikaku says as he walks over and uses me as a leaning post. To me, he's obviously relieved. "And there they are now."

"Rule breakers." I mutter as I go to meet them. Itachi raises his eyebrows as he sees me. "What could that look possibly mean?"

"Nothing." He says, but it's obviously not nothing. I glower at him. "You're so cute when you're upset with me, Minako."

"Don't pull the doting brother act." I point at him and he chuckles. "I wouldn't know what to do if you didn't annoy me."

"You assume it's an act. I've got years to make up for, my darling younger sister." He says and I glower at him some more. "Now you should probably stop ignoring Shikamaru. He's been very worried about you."

"And that's fine…as long as it didn't affect his performance while on duty." I say as I turn my attention to Shikamaru.

"On the contrary, I'd say my concern improved my efficiency." Shikamaru says and I smile before I hug him. His arms close around me and all the tension that I've felt throughout this whole ordeal dissipates. Shikaku and Itachi move away. "I probably don't say it enough, but I love you."

"You don't have to outright tell me in order for me to know." I say and he just holds me tighter. "That's not us…but I love you too and I'm so glad that we made it through this."

"So…how did you keep the entire Allied Shinobi Forces from realizing that their headquarters didn't actually have one location?" He asks and I chuckle.

"That, my dear boy, was genjutsu." I say and then I debate on whether or not I should tell him why I did it. I should. "As you know…I was sent to head a medical unit. I did that for a few weeks, but then I had a dream." He tenses. "I saw HQ being destroyed by Ten Tails…Shikaku and Inoichi would have died. They were the two that I was meant to save."

"But of course you went above and beyond." He says and I chuckle before I sigh. "Thank you…"

"You don't need to thank me. I love him and so saving him was completely selfish." I say softly. "I missed you."

"Good…because I don't intend on letting you go again for a very long time." He says and I lean back and raise an eyebrow at him. "I'll share, but some of the dreams I had out there…"

"Good thing you're not a freak like me." I say with a grin. "I'm happy to report that I had the utmost confidence in your abilities to keep yourself alive. But anyway…I've been released from duty. I can head home whenever."

"Do you want to go together?" He asks and I look at him like he's stupid. "No? Alright. I guess I'll just go and find someone else to go back with."

"Shut up. Let me just go and make sure that my girl has a handle on things." I say as I duck out of his arms and head over to the medical tent. We only have a few cases of chakra exhaustion right now and so they're resting up. "Mai, are you okay for me to take off?"

"Of course! Don't think I didn't see you with your man. Go." She says and I feel my cheeks heat up. "The hard ass medical captain actually blushing? You must love him a lot."

"That asshole? Maybe a little bit. Promise we'll keep in touch?" I ask and she walks over to me.

"You just try and stop me. Suna isn't that far from Konoha and you've got handy dandy summons." She says and I smile before I hug her. "It was an honor to serve with you."

"The honor was mine. Take care of yourself, Mai." I say and she squeezes me one last time before I head back out of the tent. She really flourished while working with me…though the war probably did that for the most part. I return to Shikamaru who is standing with his father and Itachi now. "You're free to go too?"

"Yes. You won't be rid of me that easily." He says and I grin. "How's Mai handling your separation?"

"There were tears shed. Promises made. I think that we'll survive the distance." I say, putting a hand over my heart. "Sorry Shikamaru, you've got more competition. I like the way she orders people around."

"I guess I can live with that." He says and I grin. "Now let's go. I'm ready to fall asleep where I stand." I take off without warning, happy to be free of the confines of war.

"Keep up, because I'm not stopping." I say over my shoulder. "And I don't buy the old man shit anymore, Shikaku."

"Have you ever really though?" He asks and I laugh. "Your sister is quite the inspirational figure."

"She's always been my reason for bettering myself." Itachi says and I get a little choked up. I'm thankful that no one notices. "The next Tsunade."

"No. That's Sakura…but I'm a close second." I say with a fond smile. She could kick my ass any day. "There's always more to learn because of new breakthroughs in our medical knowledge, but I am content with what I know." That and I have accomplished my goal. Wait…no…I've only saved seven significant people. I groan.

"What's wrong?" Shikamaru asks and I smile weakly at him. "What can you possibly have to hide from the three of us?"

"I've saved seven of the eight people I'm meant to save and I feel like I'm about sixty-five years old." I say and he looks concerned. "Loving people is hard work."

"Just wait until you have children." Shikaku says dryly. "If that is the path you want to take, that is."

"Eh, someday. My brothers are hopeless with women and so someone has to make sure that the Uchiha genes don't die out." I say and Itachi chuckles. "What? Are you saying that you're a ladies' man, Itachi?"

"No. You carry the mantle of clan head very well." He says and I shake my head. "As much power as you hold over Sasuke?"

"I don't hold power over him…I just refuse to let him fuck up the family I have." I say and he hums thoughtfully.

"Minako!" Sasuke cries from further back. I stop and double back. I crash into my twin and he hugs me tight. "I thought that…"

"That I'd been turned into a Minako Pancake? You have no faith in me, I swear." I say with a roll of my eyes. "Now I'm going back to the village. I need a hot bath and about six thousand years of sleep." I duck out of his arms and take off again. We don't stop again until we reach Konoha. I land just outside of the gates so that I can calmly walk into my home.

"Tell me you've considered retiring?" Sasuke asks as he stands next to me, staring at the city. "Because I don't think my nerves can handle you being an active duty shinobi anymore."

"Well Sasuke…I hate to break it to you…but a lot of people count on me being annoyingly everywhere at once, so you'll have to figure out a way to get through that." I say and then I spot pink hair. "I have an idea of how you could do it…and it rhymes with Hakura Saruno."

"Real subtle." He says dryly. "You really think she'd want to put up with me after how much of an asshole I've been for all of these years?"

"You really are as dumb as you look, aren't you?" I ask and he glowers at me. "It's not fair that I'm the pretty one AND the smart one." I shake my head. "Go talk to her."

"Itachi?" A familiar voice asks and I look over to see a familiar face. A woman from my childhood...Emiko Fukuhara. "I'd heard that you were pardoned…but I didn't think that…"

"Emiko, it's good to see you." My brother says and I look between them before I feel the look form on my face. Itachi calmly walks over and puts me in a headlock. "Excuse my sister."

"Oh I know the spirit that is Minako Uchiha. She used to go to that study group I always talked about starting." She says and then I twist out of his hold. "It's good to see you, kid."

"I'm hardly a kid." I say with a sigh. "Anyway, Itachi, you can get out of my hair. I still feel like I'm elbow deep in intestines."

"Your descriptions of the situations that you've been in are as comforting as always." He says dryly and I laugh. "I'll see you at home whenever you decide to come home…or maybe not. I haven't exactly decided whether or not I'm going to sleep for six thousand years."

"You know…Yoshino might be very happy to see you." Shikaku says and I weigh that option as well. "Though I can't guarantee she'll let you help."

"I have a new hand to play. She'll never see it coming." I say, waving a hand in dismissal. "Okay, new plan. Shower. Maybe preliminary dinner and then dinner with the Nara's. Sound good?"

"Sounds great." Shikamaru says and I smile. "I'll see you in a little bit." I wiggle my fingers in a sort of wave to my companions before I take off. When I arrive home, I make note of how I'm going to have to kick Yoshino's butt for taking care of the apartment while we were gone. I get into the shower and take my time with everything. I'm sure Yoshino will want time alone with her family after not seeing them for so long. I leave the conditioner on my hair and shave my legs. When I finish that I let the water work the knots out of my shoulders. THEN I rinse my hair and continue on with washing the sweat and dirt from my skin. I shut the water off and wrap a towel around myself…then there's a knock on the door. Whoever it is isn't giving off a chakra signature. I tuck the towel so that it won't fall and I grab a kunai from my pouch before I go over. I wait a moment before I open the door, ready to attack. But, it's just Shikamaru.

"Oh jeez. Give a girl a heart attack. Stop suppressing your chakra, asshole." I say with a sigh. "Come in, you can wait in the living room." I turn on my heel and go to my room and close the door. My face is hot with embarrassment. I'm pretty much naked. Shikamaru saw me pretty much naked. I mean, he didn't see anything at all, but…I shake my head and get dressed in shorts and a tee shirt. "What are you even doing here?"

"My mom said you were taking too long and so she sent me to get you." He says and I note that there's something different about his voice. I head out and go to the bathroom to brush my hair and my teeth. "I'm sorry about…"

"Just don't talk about it and we'll be good." I say with a slight smirk. He comes over and leans against the door frame. "Though I have a belief that you did that on purpose. Pervert."

"I'm not a pervert." He says, eyes to the ceiling. "I've always found you attractive, but I respect you. You know that I wouldn't…"

"I know. I'm teasing." I say and he lets out a breath. "Relax, would you? And I only took so long because I was giving you guys time to be a family together."

"Did you not realize that includes you?" He asks and I look at him, probably with a confused look. "They know what my intentions are. I'm fairly certain that you know…"

"I guess I'm not entirely sure. I mean…I have an idea, but there are tons of people who love each other and never actually formally do anything about it." I say and he smirks at me. "What? It's true."

"You're going to make me say it, aren't you?" He asks and my eyebrows furrow together. "Minako…I'm going to marry you someday."

"Don't I get a say?" I ask and he regards me dubiously. "What? What if I want to travel the world?"

"Then we'll do it as husband and wife." He says and my heart skips a beat. "I told you that I'm going to be there for you until the end. We've got to get around to this sort of thing anyway and there's no one I would rather do that with. It only makes sense."

"Getting around to this sort of thing meaning having children?" I ask with a raise of my eyebrows. "I mean…I guess…I've just never really thought of it."

"It's just an idea." He says with a shrug. I detect the change in his mood and I instantly feel bad. I finish with my hair and brush my teeth. "Are you about ready?"

"No." I say and then I kiss him. It's a sneak attack and he falls over. I grin as I sit on him. "You're a dummy for getting upset about that. Just because I haven't thought about the whole marriage thing doesn't mean that it's not something I want. Being with you is so easy that I don't need to think about it because I know when that time comes I'll be cool with it."

"Yeah, just cool with it." He says with a roll of his eyes. "Was the sneak attack necessary?"

"Yes. I need to reassert my dominance every now and again otherwise you forget who's in charge." I say and he smiles my favorite smile. "Shikamaru…don't worry. You're the only person crazy enough to love me even after knowing literally everything about me."

"Well I don't want you settling for me." He says as he moves me so that he can get up. I grab his shoulders and push him back down, glaring at him. "Your brothers would kill me if they came in here and found us like this."

"They know better than to approach me with suppressed chakra. Itachi nearly lost his damn head once." I say and he sighs. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing." He wraps his arms around me. "What would you want to marry me for anyway?"

"Why the hell would you want to marry someone like me?" I challenge. "Does the why really matter? And besides, it's not like you've got the balls to ask me now anyway." I get off of him and pull him up. "Now let's go before your mother sends your father after us." I hum before I head back to my room and attach a pouch. "Okay. Now." I lead the way out.

* * *

When I wake up, I feel like I've just been sat on by the largest horse imaginable. What on Earth happened to me? I was walking home from a brief mission to a village not too far away from Konoha…but then what happened? Oh right….I was attacked. I take in my surroundings…I'm in a dark cell. It's cold. I've been kidnapped.

"Well fuck." I mutter to myself as I stand up. There are no constraints on me which lead me to believe that my assailants had no idea who they were dealing with. They had the element of surprise which is the only reason why they got the drop on me…and I guess their numbers had something to do with it as well. I check myself over…my obvious weapons are gone. They didn't find any of my concealed weapons though, so that's good. A door at the end of a hallway opens and light floods the room. This place is disgusting.

"So the Uchiha princess is finally awake." A man says as he slowly makes his way down the hall…is he trying to be dramatic?

"I have a few questions, if you wouldn't mind answering them." I say, remaining in the same spot I've been standing in. He gestures me on. "Who are you and what do you want with me?"

"I'll ignore that first question but as for the second question…there's someone who really wishes to meet you who paid me a lot of money to make sure that it was possible." He says and I feel irritation bubbling.

"This is going to be so annoying once I get home. They're not going to let me go anywhere alone ever again." I say with a sigh. "My brothers….my boyfriend and his family…this is going to be troublesome."

"Sweetheart, I don't think you quite understand." He says and my eye twitches at the use of the word 'sweetheart'. "It takes about a week for Lord Orochimaru to get here and you've been unconscious for three days." So I have four days to escape. "You're not getting out of here."

"I suppose they won't find me, will they?" I ask, sounding sad. I'm not worried. With the weapons I have, I can get out of here.

"No, they will not. I hope you're comfortable." He says and then he's leaving…he turns back and gestures me to come to the bars. He's holding a ration pack. I reach out to take it and he stabs me. "That ought to keep you from making an escape attempt" He turns on his heel and heads out. Once the door closes behind him I prick my thumb on my incisor and perform summoning jutsu. I use sign language to request that the sparrow find me a way out that isn't the door just down the hall way. He salutes with his wing before he uses his specialty skill and picks the lock on the cell door. I'm able to open it quietly and he flies around for a little bit, silent as the night. After a moment he returns to my side and gestures for me to follow. I stalk along the creature silently and pretty soon I'm out of the building. I've probably got a twenty-minute head start.

"Go back and send a combat specialist. Thank you so much for your help." I say and he salutes with his wing again before he disappears. The espionage-type sparrows don't speak...ever. That's something unnerving that I learned, but at least I can communicate with them. Two minutes later a beefier looking sparrow appears at my side. "I just need you to cover my back. Did he fill you in?"

"Yes, Milady, consider your back covered." He says and then he takes to the sky. I quickly figure out roundabouts where I am and then head back in the direction of the Hidden Leaf. I'm pretty far away though. My sparrow calls out a warning and I conceal myself in the roots of a large tree. I grab the concealed kunai strapped to my upper thighs and prepare for a fight. There are four of them…and their chakra is suppressed. They touch down briefly and…wait a minute.

"Shikamaru." I scramble out from the hiding spot. "Shikamaru!" The head of the party quickly travelling away from me doubles back quickly and I see him. My anxiety melts away and I feel dizzy with relief…wait a minute. That's not relief. "Fuck." I remember the stab wound then. How could I have forgotten to take care of that? How did…how did my sparrows not notice? Espionage-types don't see in color. Shikamaru catches me just as I begin to fall. Who is with him? Asuma…Junichi…and Hinata? This is a weird combination. "I'm okay…I'm okay." I try to sound reassuring.

"Just shut up." He spits and my mouth closes of its own volition. Hinata drops to my side and she begins healing me.

"Were they starving you out?" She asks, eyebrows furrowed in worry. I sigh as I glance at Shikamaru.

"I hadn't eaten in about a day when I was attacked and then I've been unconscious for three days. Do I look that bad?" I ask and she hums.

"Your chakra is pretty low…though that's probably from the use of your summoning…not eating definitely did not help in replenishing it…but of course you knew that." She says almost shyly now.

"Well I just want to get home, so we'll worry about food then." I say and Shikamaru has an almost animalistic anger. "How the hell did they agree to send you on this mission, Mr. Emotional?"

"Milady, they have discovered that you are missing." My sparrow says as he swoops down and lands on a branch.

"We'd better get moving…if they were strong enough to overwhelm Minako." Junichi says and I make a face.

"It's fine. They're stupid. They didn't even think to check for hidden weapons. The numbers are what got me." I say and Shikamaru huffs as he lifts me onto his back.

"Regardless. We're going now." He says and then he takes off. I make eye contact with Asuma who shrugs. "You're lucky I'm the one who came and not Sasuke. He would've gone back there and slaughtered them all."

"If you don't stop being pissed off at me, I'm going to smack the shit out of you. Stop it." I say and Junichi shakes his head. "Do me a favor. Next time there's a mission to rescue me, don't."

"Tch. Right." He says, sounding exactly like my brother. I groan and roll my eyes. "You're not even sorry."

"What the fuck would I even be sorry for? Sorry I was doing my job and some creepy snake fuck wants my body? My bad. Curse my mother and her attractive genes." I say and Junichi snickers.

"Shikamaru, you should try to keep a more level head." Asuma says and I gesture at the man. "He almost didn't come on this mission."

"I'd rather one of my other idiots to be honest. At least Izanagi wouldn't have tried to make me apologize when I didn't do anything wrong. You've been really great, Hinata." I say and she blushes.

"Thank you." She says politely and I smile. She's still the cutest person I've ever seen…I don't care who you are.

"Besides, Shikamaru, is that any way to treat your girlfriend on her birthday?" Junichi asks and I shake my head.

"That's enough…" I say with a sigh. "Let's just get home so I can get bitched at again at least two more times."

"Itachi and Sasuke?" Junichi asks and I shake my head. He raises an eyebrow at me. "Lady Hokage and Itachi?"

"Ino and Sasuke. Itachi will just give me a long look. Lady Tsunade understands the difference between when I'm doing my job and when I'm being stupid." I say and Jun snickers.

"So you admit that there is a difference." Asuma says and I toss a glower at him. "Until now you've always claimed that you were just doing your job."

"Well technically I guess I am always just doing my job…but sometimes when things get hairy I get reckless because I can afford to do it. Like when we faced Hidan for the first time." I say and I hear Shikamaru's knuckles crack as he squeezes his hand into fists. I lay my head against his shoulder and place a gentle kiss on the side of his neck. "I just want to make sure that all my comrades can go home to their families…that's all I've ever wanted."

"Well you've got a family to come home to as well." He says and Junichi snickers. "I mean Sasuke and Itachi, asshole."

"Oh no, you've been spending too much time with her already." Junichi says and I laugh. "So when is the wedding?"

"Nobody's asked me to marry them…well there was a guy a little over a week ago…said I had fantastic child-bearing hips. I had to turn him down." I say and I feel the force of Shikamaru's eye roll. "Personally, I'm concerned my hips are a little narrow. He obviously had no idea what the hell he was talking about."

"Not everyone is as well informed on advanced anatomy and medical techniques as you are." Junichi says wistfully and I snicker. I can see the gates of Konoha in the distance and I smile.

"Milady, if things are handled from here…." My sparrow says as he flies alongside us. He and his wife just became parents.

"Of course, and congratulations on the new addition to your family. Give my best to your wife." I say and he beams with pride.

"Yes ma'am. They will be proud to fight alongside you and your kin as I am." He says and then he disappears in a puff of smoke.

"I've rarely seen a summon care so deeply for their master." Asuma notes and I shrug a little.

"They're my comrades not my servants. As long as I'm not a dick bag, I'm sure they'll be more than happy to help me." I say and Hinata giggles a little bit. "Now I detect the super angry chakra of the male version of myself. I don't look bad, do I?"

"Considering Shikamaru is carrying you and for the most part your former stab wound is covered, you should be okay." Junichi says and I hum. We reach the gates and the chunin on guard duty look up.

"Uchiha Minako. Registration number zero, one, two, six oh six. Sorry, that's six oh five. Six oh six is my brother." I say…seeing as though I don't have my identification card, the bastards took it along with the rest of my stuff. Good thing I didn't take anything important with me.

"You're all clear." He says and Shikamaru walks on through. He's not holding onto my legs and so I go to hop down and he quickly holds them.

"Shikamaru, I'm fine." I say and he ignores me…heading straight for the hospital. "Don't make me hurt you…I really don't want to do that. I've seen a perfectly competent medical shinobi and so I don't need to go to the hospital. I just need a shower and some food. It's just about dinner time and so I know that your mother probably already has a ton of food prepared. I also know that you'll be damned before you let me stay at my apartment without the entirety of the Nara clan to protect me."

"So you do still learn new things." He says like the smartass he is and I sigh. "I respect Hinata's abilities, but the hospital is most likely where Lady Tsunade is avoiding her regular duties."

"Very true and she'll be interested in her former teammate's most recent strategy." I say and he hums. When we enter, Lady Tsunade is talking to the nurse sitting at the reception desk. "Honey, I'm home!"

"Did you really just call me honey?" She asks as she turns to face me. "Alright, my office. Follow me." Shikamaru obeys and carries me into the office she uses when she's working the floor here at the hospital. "What happened?" Shikamaru deposits me onto a chair.

"So I was returning home from giving that talk about recent medical advances when I was attacked by about sixty men. I was knocked unconscious and apparently I was out for three days before I woke up. I didn't spend much conscious time there because the leader of the group that kidnapped me stabbed me after spilling the beans that Orochimaru hired them to kidnap me. As soon as he left I mounted my escape and then I met up with Team Asuma."

"That was actually Team Shikamaru." She says and I raise my eyebrows. He didn't even mention the promotion. He's formally a jonin now. "Anyway…that's interesting. I think that the best course of action for now would be to give you a team of genin…D-rank missions would keep you in the village and safe from more ballsy kidnapping attempts."

"Okay. I didn't say anything about you making me a jonin because Asuma's life was on the line, but I'm gonna say something about giving me genin. I would be a horrible teacher." I say and she smirks.

"You wouldn't be any worse than me. And besides, you've got until September to prepare yourself for the role of sensei. I think you're more than ready and so that's the important part. Until then, you're being placed on restrictions. No solo missions. And at least a month without leaving the village." She says and I open my mouth to protest. "Do you know what he's so interested in you about?" I shake my head. "You're an Uchiha…just as strong as Sasuke and he was dead set on getting him. What can you do that Sasuke can't? Think biologically."

"I can bear children." I say and she nods. "So he wants to turn me into a baby factory for his many freaky snake fuck bodies?"

"That's what I've gathered so far. So please…be compliant. In spite of myself, I'm pretty fond of you, Uchiha." She says and I smirk.

"Aw, I love you too Milady." I say and she rolls her eyes. "Alright…I'll bite, but we're talking more about this sensei bullshit."

"Whatever. Get out of my sight." She says, waving me off. I chuckle and stand up, reaching over and taking Shikamaru's hand. "Hopefully I don't have to send you on anymore Uchiha recovery missions, Shikamaru."

"With my luck? It'll happen at least one more time." He says and I can't help but laugh. We make our way out. "I need to talk to you about something."

"Okay…go for it." I say, linking my arm with his and resting my head against his shoulder.

"Let's get married." He says and my eyebrows furrow together. Sure I expected it at some point or another since we've actually talked about it…but so soon? "I've thought about it…and there's not really that much that would change. We argue like an old married couple anyhow and I still love you the same."

"You make a compelling argument, but you're still seventeen." I say, sticking my tongue out at him. "I'm older and wiser."

"Older maybe." He says and I elbow him in the ribs. "That doesn't matter though, I'm recognized as an 'adult' by my clan and you're not that much older than me anyhow."

"Shikamaru, what's this all about?" I ask and he glances at me. "You're not going to lose me…even if you hadn't come after me, I still would've made it home to you. I'm too stubborn to die in such a lame way. I would've had my sparrow bring a healer and I would've been fine."

"That is only like twelve percent of the point." He says and I smile. "I mean…I guess if you don't want to yet, that's okay. Next question is, do you want to move in with me?"

"That one seems a bit more doable right now." I say and he actually smiles. "See? When you look at me like that I get domestic-y thoughts, but when you're just like 'we may as well', what's supposed to inspire me to want to get married? Sweep a girl off her feet."

"Challenge accepted." He says and I roll my eyes. "Anyway, you mentioned something about showering and then eating?"

"And then resting." Sasuke says as he walks up behind me. "You're so lucky he's the one who went."

"So I've heard." I say and he shakes his head. "Itachi must be out on a mission or something…oh right! Happy birthday, brother!"

"Happy birthday." Sasuke says, patting the top of my head. "Coming home was a pretty good gift, I don't know if I can top it."

"You can try again next year." I say reassuringly. We arrive at the Nara's and I smile at Sasuke.

"Yoshino had invited me over for dinner anyway…she was worried since you were gone and Itachi. I tried to tell her that I was fine…I'd been managing without you around since you're gone a lot more…" He starts and I shake my head.

"That's your first mistake. There are few arguments that you can win with Yoshino Nara…even fewer when you're not me." I say and Shikamaru shakes his head.

"I'd fall for a girl who's three times scarier than my own mother." He says and I give an evil laugh. As we enter, the aforementioned woman is standing in the foyer, arms folded across her chest.

"Shower and then food. Then you're relaxing for the rest of the evening. No ifs, ands, or buts. Shikamaru, get her some clothes to wear." She says and then she turns on her heel and heads back into the kitchen. I look at my brother and Shikamaru and they both shrug.

"Go see if she needs help." I say…suspecting something from the looks of the woman…I won't say anything yet. "I've got orders to obey."

"Be careful." Shikamaru says very seriously to Sasuke and I snicker. We head off down the hall. I lead against the door frame as he grabs a pair of sweats and a tee shirt for me. "You've gotten really thin, it worries me."

"Well you can keep a close eye on me now, Mr. Jonin." I say as I accept the clothes from him. "Now go make sure your mother doesn't murder my brother."

"But first." He says and then he leans in and kisses me in such a way that makes me dizzy…not because it's crazy or anything. It's tame compared to some people I've seen out and about…trying to maul each other's faces off or whatever. We've always had a more intellectual relationship…I fell in love with his mind and the way that he cares about people. As we grew older…it's just been an added benefit that I find him attractive. He pulls away before he kisses the tip of my nose. "I don't say it enough…but I really do love you…even though you drive me absolutely insane with worry."

"As I've said before…you don't have to say it out loud for me to know." I say, giving a goofy smile. "You're romantic in your own way, which works for me."

"Mhmm, now go get a shower. You smell like blood." He says and I glower at him before I turn on my heel, barely missing whipping him in the face with my hair. He smacks my butt.

"Shikamaru Nara!" I exclaim and he's already running down the hall way. "You'd better run, asshole!" I mutter obscenities as I go into the bathroom. I don't take long in the shower…just enough to wash the dried blood and sweat from my skin and scrub my hair clean. Once I'm finished, I wander into the dining room. Shikaku is just arriving home.

"What did he do? He's been too stubborn to admit it." Yoshino says upon noticing me. I glare at her son.

"He exists…that's enough." I say and she chuckles. "I've spent my entire life around Sasuke and so now I'm used to it. Thanks Sasuke."

"Don't drag me into your weird relationship." He says from his spot at the table. "Also, I tried to help and got attacked with a wooden spoon."

"Perhaps it's for the best." I say gravely. I open my mouth to offer my assistance and Yoshino points her spoon at me.

"Sit. It's done anyway. Shikamaru, help me carry everything to the table." She says and I obey. I take my usual seat and I notice as Shikaku observes me.

"Did Lady Tsunade fill you in?" I ask and he tries to look innocent. "I may be tired, but I'm not dumb. Spill."

"Indeed she did." He says, amused at my antics. "I'm more interested in something that I heard from someone else who passed you and Shikamaru on the way over here." I raise an eyebrow. "A certain question that someone may have asked…" I laugh.

"If you could call that asking." I say and Shikamaru glowers at me from the kitchen. "No further developments there."

"Alright." He says and then the food is sat on the table. We serve ourselves and begin eating.

"I have an announcement." Yoshino says after about ten minutes of silence. We all look at her. "I'm pregnant." Shikamaru and Shikaku both choke.

"Congratulations." Sasuke says and I smile, proud of him for being the first to react positively.

"Yeah! I recommend Yuki. She's the best in the maternity ward." I say and she smiles. I look to Shikamaru and he looks…odd. "Cheer up. You're going to be a great older brother…though the age difference is enough that you're both still going to have only child personalities."

"Just when I thought it was almost over." Shikaku says gravely, but he's smiling fondly at his wife. "Does anyone else have anything they want to say?"

"Well…I guess now might be a good time." Shikamaru says and then he places something on the table and slides it over to me. I open the box before I close it and slide it back to him.

"Really? You're going to have to do better than that." I say and he sighs. Sasuke looks between the two of us. I really hope this isn't something brand new to him.

"What is it going to take?" He asks and I raise an eyebrow at him. All I really want is for him to just ask me…to not be lazy about it. He sighs before he stands up and picks up the box. He gets down on one knee. "Minako, will you marry me?" Sasuke shakes his head, but he doesn't look angry.

"I….okay." I say and he looks at me very seriously. "Yes…and I'm sure. I'm just…" I shake my head. "I'm just sure, okay? I'm just…"

"Crying." He says and I notice the tears on my cheeks. "You don't have to say yes, you know…I don't want you to agree if you don't…"

"Shut up, idiot." I say and he closes his mouth, but smiles none the less. "A lot has happened today and I'm just overwhelmed…but I do want this. You…becoming a part of your family."

"I have a feeling this is going to be his only chance at having a brother." Yoshino adds in and I chuckle.

"You can have them. They're annoying." I say and he smiles as he takes the ring out of the box and slides it onto my left ring finger. Things continue to grow more and more complicated…but I can't bring myself to hate my situation.


	12. Otherwise Engaged

**Greetings, loved ones! Welcome to chapter 12! I feel like I'm getting back into my grove with this whole writing thing! That being said, if anyone is interested in possibly being sort of like a beta reader for me I'd love that! My best friend reads over some of the stuff before I post it, but we're both busy workin' ladies and such. Gots to make the moneys. But if you're interested, shoot me a message or something! Now that we've got that taken care of, here's chapter 12! Enjoy!**

"Damn it, Minako!" Shikamaru yells from the door that leads into our apartment. I poke my head up over the back of the couch, offering a sheepish look. "I leave for one week and you totally move everything in. We were supposed to do this together."

"It was supposed to be a surprise." I say and he sighs. "And besides, it's not like I need you to lift things for me. I'm arguably stronger than you are."

"I'd wager that I'm stronger." He says as he looks around. "It looks great…but I'm still mad at you for doing it alone."

"I didn't do it alone." I say with a roll of my eyes. "Ino and Sakura helped me out a little bit."

"Oh no." He says and then he goes to our room. I hear the sigh of relief. Did he think that Ino was gonna mess with him?

"Don't be such a big baby." I say and then I smile. "Anyway…before you rudely greeted me with a 'damn it, Minako' I didn't get to do my whole thing."

"Your whole thing?" He asks as he comes out of our room without his mission pack.  
"What do you mean?" I get up from the couch and go over to him. He's standing at his full height, so I can't really reach all that well. I hop up and peck his lips.

"Welcome home." I say and the goofy grin that spreads across his face is satisfying. "I would've greeted you at the door, but I was taking a nap."

"Is that really us though? I feel like 'damn it, Minako' is more true to our relationship." He says and I really can't argue with him.

"So what you're telling me is that when you come home I should just immediately say 'fuck you'?" I ask and he regards me dryly. "I'm very confused, Shikamaru. Judging from the look on your face, I thought you liked my greeting."

"I did." He says and then he kisses my forehead. I thought that it would be super awkward…but it really isn't. I guess I've sort of lived with him off and on for several years now. "Tell me that my family helped a little bit." He's looking around.

"I carried your mother out of here." I say and he blanches. "She was pissed, but she is pregnant and I'm a medical shinobi and so she couldn't argue with me too much more."

"I'm in for an earful." He says and I laugh. "Oh sure, you laugh, but I'm going to be the one to take the brunt of it because she knows that you're right."

"I think what we can agree on is the fact that it's good that I made your mother relax instead of dealing with the stressful stuff included in moving." I say and he hums. "Now go take a shower. You stink."

"You're so kind." He says with a roll of his eyes. He leans down and kisses me one more time before he gathers some clothes and goes into the bathroom. I smile before I go to the kitchen and begin making some lunch. I skipped breakfast, so I'm starving. "Do you want to hear about my mission or will you be too jealous?"

"Someone wants to get punched in the face." I say sweetly. "That asshole is starving me out. She wants me to agree to being a sensei."

"You'll be a great sensei." He says and I shoot him a look. "Minako...you need to actually talk to me about this."

"Since when?" I ask with a wry smile. "Let me at least finish cooking so that I don't get mad and stab you."

"You're all bark." He says, leaning against the counter beside where I'm working. "But I'll wait to bother you about it."

"You're smart AND cute." I say as if I'm pleasantly surprised. "Go ahead and tell me about your mission."

"I met up with Temari and Kankuro and we were able to flush out the sympathizers and get them back to Suna very quickly." He says and I hum. "Other than move into our apartment without me, what did you do while I was gone?"

"I avoided people for sport. I'm getting pretty good at it." I say and he groans. "That's right, don't piss me off." I smile then. "I helped your mom out around the house…We started setting up the nursery for your new sibling. We also started talking about wedding plans…now I really want you to be involved…"

"And I will be…I just…" He starts and I give him a look. "We could get married in our regular clothes, in front of Ichiraku and I'd be fine with that as long as it's you that I'm standing next to." My look morphs into a goofy sort of smile. "If you want something more than that, then I trust you not to make me look like an idiot."

"Well now I have to make you look like an idiot." I say and he glowers at me. "You're going to have to be especially nice to me now."

"Challenge accepted." He says and I roll my eyes as I finish up preparing the stir fry. I make two plates before I carry them over to the table. He brings the tea. "Now. About you being a sensei. What's the problem?"

"I have a foul mouth. I'm afraid that I'd be putting the poor kids in danger being who I am and all…" I start and then I take a bite and then stare in wonder and appreciation. "Damn, I'm good."

"And humble." He says and then he takes a bite. "It is really good though, thank you." I smirk.

"That's right." I say and he rolls his eyes. "But as I was saying. I'd be one of the youngest jonin getting a team and so I think that the other jonin would pick on me."

"I'd like to see them try. Remember? You have a reputation as a badass." He says and I shake my head. "I don't know…maybe you could talk to Iruka about it? Or maybe Asuma and Kurenai?"

"Perhaps Kurenai…Asuma treats me like the kid sister he never had." I say almost dejectedly. "I made it several years without being treated like a little sister and all of a sudden I'm a jonin and the god mother of his daughter and it's cool to use me as a leaning post."

"I think there's a certain closeness since you did save his life and everything." He notes and I shake my head. He smiles and then something catches his attention and he sighs. "Why is there a framed photo of you and Ino in a loving embrace on our wall?" I burst out laughing.

"It was a housewarming gift." I say and he shakes his head. "Come on, you know Ino is my love."

"That whole thing started out weird and it's just gone downhill since then." He says and I pretend to be offended.

"I thought that was part of the agreement when we entered into this relationship, yeah I'm your Minako but Ino is also mine and you had to be okay with that." I say and then I tut. "Shikamaru, you really need to learn how to share."

* * *

"Your son is driving me nuts with how little he cares about these plans." I say as I pace. Yoshino is sitting, watching me with mild amusement with a hand resting on her growing stomach. I'm grumpy. "You know what? Since we're here together now, we could probably get him to make decisions with me."

"We could always try." She says and I nod and then summon Kimi. "Oh good lord." She's laughing.

"It's not exactly an emergency, but get Shikamaru here as quickly as you can. Make it seem urgent." I say and she tilts her head to the side.

"Alright…but if he gets mad at me…" She starts and I grin at her. "If I may ask, what is this about?"

"I'm trying to get him to help with our wedding plans and he's being a little shit." I say and then I see the look of determination fall across her face.

"Consider it done, Milady!" She exclaims and then she shoots out the window. I make the motion of dusting off my shoulders before I sit down in a chair, cross my legs, and wait.

"This will be good." Yoshino says and it isn't five minutes later when I sense them coming.

"This way!" Kimi exclaims and the door is thrown open and she flies into the room, perching on my shoulder. Shikamaru runs in to the three women looking up at him expectantly.

"Sit down and you won't be harmed." I say and he gets that indignant challenging look that he's donned since I've tried to get him to help me. I uncross my legs and put my hands on my knees, preparing to get up. I think it's time to ham up the feelings I've been having. "I feel like you don't care about marrying me. Oh she's just Minako, who cares? She's been there forever, so she'll still be there forever regardless of if I give a shit or not." That changes his expression very quickly.

"Mina, you know that's not it at all." He says as he walks over and crouches in front of me, taking my hands. "All of this stuff is…weird."

"Well sit down and help me pick a date at least." I say and he sighs before he falls into the chair beside me. I smile. "I want an autumn date…so anywhere within those constraints."

"October then." He says and I sigh. Of course he isn't going to try and pick an actual date. "October fourteenth." Get out of my head.

"That will give the Yamanaka's plenty of time to plan ahead for flowers." Yoshino says with a smile.

"I meant this coming October fourteenth. I don't want to draw it out. All of this planning is going to be annoying, so let's get it over with." He says and I laugh at the dirty look he receives from his mother. "What? Minako doesn't want a huge wedding. The only people who want that are the elders."

"Is this true, Minako?" Yoshino asks, turning her stern gaze upon me. I hold up my hands in surrender.

"I don't really care to make a big spectacle. I don't like when people watch me anyway." I say and she shakes her head. "October fourteenth sounds fine to me…but why the fourteenth of all days?"

"Nothing." Shikamaru says as he stands up. I grab him by the forearm and pull him back into his chair. "I said nothing!" I give him a stern look. "I was fourteen when I realized I loved you and October is of course your favorite month. Fine? I can go now?"

"You're so cute!" I exclaim, jumping into his lap and wrapping my arms around his neck. I feel the force of his eye roll, but he doesn't let me fall.

"So you give your pregnant mother less than a three month advance notice to plan your wedding." Yoshino says with a shake of her head. "It isn't your fault, Minako."

"I'll do the planning. You're pregnant and so you need to avoid stress as much as possible." I say, standing up now. I'm all business. "Don't make me get Shikaku involved."

"Don't be ridiculous." She says with a roll of her eyes. "As if he has the gall to try and tell me what to do." I suppress the snicker. "I won't let you plan it all by yourself…I'll help you and we'll enlist Toshio's wife and Sachiko."

"Oh no." Shikamaru groans. "That woman is crazy." I smack his arm and he sighs. "She's going to do everything in her power to make me look like an idiot."

"Darling, you do a good job of that on your own when I'm involved." I say and he glowers at me. I grin at him and he shakes his head. "And besides, your aunts are fantastic. I wouldn't be half the medic I am today without Sachiko's help."

"That's not totally true, but I'll take the praise." The woman says as she leans against the door frame. "So you really did agree to marry this little shit…well, you can't say that I didn't warn you."

"Love, what can ya do?" I ask and she smiles fondly. I glance at the clock then. "Crap, I'm late for a meeting with the Hokage. She's trying to coerce me into taking students."

"Coerce?" Shikamaru asks with a shake of his head. "Aunt Sachiko…tell her she'd be great at it."

"Those poor kids." Sachiko says and I gesture at the woman, silently thanking her. "But you do have a lot to teach…I could see it working out."

"Devil's advocate." I mutter and she shrugs. I hop up and Shikamaru stands with me. I glower at him.

"I've got work to do, so I can walk you to your meeting." He says and I shake my head. "I'll try to help more…I promise."

"Yeah, you'd better." Sachiko says and then she smiles at me. "Now get going. I'll keep the Beast from over-working."

"The Beast!?" Yoshino exclaims and that's when Shikamaru and I flee, leaving Sachiko to face the wrath of the crazy pregnant lady. We don't stop until we reach the Hokage tower.

"You're late too?" Kakashi asks as he lands beside us. "Or am I early for once?" I roll my eyes.

"I'm late. Come on before she tries to kill the both of us and we're out a sixth Hokage." I say, squeezing Shikamaru's hand before I head up the stairs. He's going to be taking over office soon…and so he's been enlisted to convince me to take students. As we enter Lady Tsunade's office I see my former teacher. "Sensei!" I exclaim as I slam into him with a hug. He laughs as he wraps his arms around me.

"It's great to see you too, kid." He says and I make sure I'm not about to cry before I let go of him. "What's this shit I hear about you refusing to take students?"

"You'd have to be fucking nuts to trust me with genin. I made a kid cry the last time I headed a C-rank mission." I say and Tsunade shakes her head.

"With good reason too. He almost got the client killed. You have the kind of skill that needs to be taught to the future generation." She says, resting her chin in her hand. "Kakashi was reluctant to take students."

"That was a good instinct. My brother is way more trouble than it's worth." I say and Kakashi coughs, but continues reading his book. "If you want me to take students just to keep me out of the bigger leagues, then I think that is a horrible idea. Hell, I think making me a jonin was a horrible idea but at least I can get shit done without having to hop through too many loops…"

"Why was it a horrible idea?" Kenta asks and I look at him. I'd forgotten that he hasn't exactly been a big part of my life for a long time.

"Because I was emotional and irrational because Asuma was in danger, keep up, Sensei." I say and he shakes his head. "I'm too young to take students, none of the other jonin will accept me."

"Now that is the most bull shit excuse you've come up with so far." Lady Tsunade says and I grin at her. "You're not….scared….are you?"

"You're really trying to challenge me right now. Well you know what? It won't work. You beat that out of me with my training." I say as I put my hands on my hips. "I'm not scared of a few genin."

"Oh dear…this is how Sasuke has told me she reacts when she's truly afraid." Kakashi says….putting in a poor effort to join in the goading. I roll my eyes. "But if I may…you could always give them a test to see if they've got what it takes to be your students."

"It's not that they don't have what it takes to be my students, it's that I'm not good enough to be their teacher. I am controlled entirely too much by my emotions and I refuse to put children in danger because of that." I say and Kenta rests a hand on my shoulder. "When I get emotional, I know for a fact that I can handle myself…and I trust that the people around me can handle themselves well enough…I just…"

"They're genin, they aren't going to have the sort of missions that you had." Lady Tsunade says. "With any luck that'll be more luck than you and your brother had combined." I laugh at that.

"I guess you're right…" I say and then there's a knock on the door. I sense the chakra. "Oh not him."

"Come in." Lady Tsunade says, seeming amused by my reaction. Asuma steps into the office and I glower at him.

"Yes, me." He says and then he nods his greetings to the other two jonin in the room. "I have an idea. Why don't you tell her who she'd be in charge of?"

"It is only a tentative arrangement based upon who we can see graduating in the upcoming test…but I suppose…" Lady Tsunade says as she opens up a folder. "Here we are. Yui Imada, Raiden Nakashima, and Haruka Nara." She's Toshio's youngest daughter.

"I…is that really proper? I'm marrying into the Nara family in case you forgot and I've never heard of…" I say and Kenta makes me turn and look at him.

"What?!" He exclaims. "You're getting married and you didn't think to let your former sensei know!?"

"This is hardly the time." I say with a sigh. "It's not my fault I haven't seen you in years." I stick my tongue out at him before I turn back to Lady Tsunade. "But if that isn't a problem…then I will seriously consider your proposition."

"I suppose that's the best that we can do for now. Great work, Asuma." She says and I glower at the man. "Now get out of my sight. Except Kakashi."

"I always feel so much love from you, Milady." I say brightly and she shakes her head. The three of us leave the two Hokage to speak. "Now Kenta-sensei…"

"Married and you weren't even going to tell me." He says, fake sniffling. I roll my eyes at his antics.

"I'm not married yet. We just settled on a date today…October fourteenth of this year." I say and Asuma ruffles my hair. I glare at him.

"The last time I saw you two, you were awkwardly dancing around your feelings for each other and now you're getting married…what did I miss?" Kenta asks and Asuma laughs.

"She put herself in one too many risky situations and he got fed up and kissed her." The man relays the information and I sigh. Is he really going to tell the whole story? "If that wasn't enough, she avoided him for a month afterwards to a point where Shikamaru put together elaborate schemes to catch her in the right moments so that he could talk to her. It wasn't easy and all but the last attempt failed."

"There's the Minako I know…avoiding feelings because they're uncomfortable." Kenta says and I shake my head. "What was your story going to be?"

"He was already my fake boyfriend anyway, and so it just kind of melded into the real deal. But honestly, it's not like anything changed about our relationship. We already argued like an old married couple to begin with." I say and he offers a 'fair enough' look. "He's less than thrilled to help with planning…I had to threaten bodily harm to get him to help pick a date and even then I had to resort to kunoichi tactics. Though I'd only say it was half a kunoichi tactic because the feelings are real."

"I can talk to him if you'd like." Asuma says and I look up at the man, trying to discern his motive. "What? As smart as he is, he doesn't always observe everything."

"It feels like it." I say dryly. "But if you wouldn't mind…I guess…his aunts are going to help Yoshino a lot and I'm going to do what I can. She's scary now that she's pregnant."

"I have been gone for way too long." Kenta says as he puts an arm around my shoulders. "How are Junichi and Izanagi doing nowadays?"

"Junichi is head of the night shift for guarding the gate and Izanagi is working towards becoming a sensei at the Academy." I say with a fond smile. "Jun's got a girl…though he won't admit it. I've been teasing him mercilessly any chance I get. We'll have to all get together for dinner soon."

"Two days from now sound good?" He asks and I nod. "Fantastic. Leave your money at home, it's my treat."

"Sensei." I groan. "You know how much I hate that. At least let me help you pay." He gives a smug smile and shakes his head. "So it's a we'll see? Fantastic."

"Minako!" Ino cries as she lands in front of me. "He finally did it!" I gesture her on for more information. "Sasuke finally told Sakura how he felt!"

"Glory hallelujah my brother isn't a pansy!" I exclaim and then I laugh. "Thanks for letting me know. What exactly happened?"

"Well he just kind of stood there awkwardly…kind of like you and then he told her that he loved her before hauling ass. He left with Itachi on an emergency mission of sorts, told me to let you know that everything was okay." She explains and I sigh.

"That's one thing I'm going to not like about not living with him." I say, trying to keep the worry off of my tone. "But anyway, I'm going to need your help."

"What with?" She asks and I wave to Asuma and Kenta as I fall into step with her. "Minako?"

"So…you know how Shikamaru's a big idiot and all?" I ask and she nods. "Well, he decided that he didn't want us to have to fuss with taking forever to plan a wedding and so our wedding is going to be on October fourteenth of this year."

"He what!?" She exclaims and I snicker. "He was too lazy to bother with planning so he thought he'd create that much more stress for you!? Of all the stupid things! I'm gonna kill him!"

"Don't kill him." I say with a laugh. "I'm just going to need your help in planning for all of this. It's going to be a lot of work in not that much time."

"Of course, you can always count on me." She says and I smile. "Gosh…I can't believe that you're getting married."

"I know, it's weird for me too." I say and my smile turns to a really soft, smushy one that I hate because it makes me look weak. "I thought it would be more strange than it is living with him. I like waking up and seeing his stupid face every morning."

"Aw…you're going to make me throw up." She says and I throw an arm around her shoulders. "As long as he understands that you're still my girl."

"Our picture is still hanging up, love." I say and she bursts out laughing. "He tried to take it down and I jumped on his back and almost made him go unconscious."

"I'd say you're joking, but I know better." She says and it's my turn to laugh. "Man, you guys are weird."

"Yeah…I think you're right." I say and then we're making our way back towards the Nara compound.

* * *

I sit up and rub my eyes before I glare at the clock on the wall. It's already three in the morning…and I'm only half way through this medical journal. I'm losing my touch. If he were home, Shikamaru would have made me put this stuff away hours ago…claiming that it'd still be there in the morning and stuff like that. We share a room now and so he knows if I fudge it and stay up late to read. It's kind of cute in an annoying sort of way, but we're figuring it out. Like when he's on missions I sleep a lot less and read a lot more. Is it good for me? Probably not. But it isn't like I'm going on big missions. I'm still on village arrest. And I'm not just staying up to read…I'm staying up because I can't sleep. It's an odd thing living with the person you love…because when you go home, your home is with them and so you become closer…and I worry more. A lot more. So much that my sleeping habits take a hit. I haven't slept in two days and he was supposed to be home sometime tonight. Maybe I should at least try to sleep…this journal will be here in the morning. I hear the sound of someone landing outside of the front door and I conceal myself in a ready position to attack. No chakra signature is a bad sign. The door opens and I wait to see who it is.

"Mina?" Shikamaru asks and I let out a breath. "Are you okay? You were there all of a sudden and then your…I scared you. I'm sorry." I slide out of my hiding spot and put my hands on my hips. "What are you still doing up?"

"Mr. Observational." I say and he rolls his eyes. "I was reading when a lunatic landing outside of my door with no chakra signature. I almost took your damn head off." He narrows his eyes at me before he walks over and throws me over his shoulder.

"I leave for four days and you probably slept two of them." He says and I can't help but snicker. He knows me well. I suppose it's a good thing we're getting married next month. Jeez…

"At least let me clean up before you berate me and throw me to bed." I say and he ignores me. "Shikamaru."

"I'll do it. I need to take a shower before I go to sleep anyway." He says and I huff in annoyance. He pulls back the covers before he gently lays me down and covers me up. He kisses my forehead. "I'll be back."

"Yeah, yeah." I say grumpily and he smiles before he goes about doing what he said he would do. I turn onto my stomach and rub my face into my pillow, I can already feel my body beginning to fall asleep.

"Soon, my dear." I hear a voice say and I gasp as I sit up, ready to fight. No one is in here though…and I hear the water running for the shower. It's probably just my sleep deprivation…I haven't been awake long enough to hallucinate though, have I? I hear the water shut off and it's quiet. I sense no other chakra…I hear no more sounds than those of Shikamaru getting ready for bed. Everything is okay. It's safe…I'm safe. The bathroom door opens.

"Just leave the books and stuff. I'll take care of it later." I say and he pokes his head into our room and gives me a dubious look. "Please. I'm tired and…"

"Alright." He says gently before he walks over and climbs into bed. I let him get settled before I scoot over and cuddle up to him. He's always had the effect of making me feel safe because he's actually as light a sleeper as I am. So I know that he has my back…that he would never let anything bad happen just because I dropped some of my defenses.

"I love you." I say quietly and his arms tighten around me almost protectively and that only lessens my anxiety even more.

"That's good…I'd hate it if you were marrying me just because I'm hot." He says and I burst out laughing, burying my face against his chest. "I love your laugh…and you too, I guess."

"Only if you guess." I say and we grow quiet again. He's not falling asleep though. "Is everything okay?"

"You tell me." He says, hauling me up further so that he can look into my eyes. "You're more tense than usual."

"The paranoia of not sleeping. It's weird when I don't have my partner with me, no one to watch my back." I say and he sighs.

"Great, now I'm going to have to ask Ino to stay over when I'm not here." He says jokingly and I smile.

"The sentiment is sweet, but I only cuddle like this with certain people." I say and he shakes his head, looking up at the ceiling. "That should be a relief to you. I hope that you don't cuddle with other people, I would be very offended."

"Only you…it's only ever been you." He says and that brings a small smile to my face. "Now go to sleep, Crazy."

"With pleasure." I say as I settle back in, relaxing against him. I make a show of fake snoring and he flicks my arm. "Good night."

"Good night." He says, lifting one of my hands to his mouth to kiss my knuckles. My body is beginning to fall into that in between state of asleep and awake…

"You'll be mine soon…" The foreign voice from earlier says and I jerk awake. Arms close around me and I struggle briefly before I remember that it's Shikamaru.

"Mina…what's wrong?" He asks and I shake my head, burrowing into his side. I make a show of situating his arm around me.

"You know I get twitchy when I'm going to sleep." I say and he hums before he makes me turn on my stomach. He turns onto his side and he begins rubbing my back.

"Jeez." He says as he briefly works on the knots in my shoulders. He goes back to the methodical back rub that puts me out like a freakin' light.

* * *

I gasp as I sit up and Shikamaru sits up as well, eyes focusing in instantly, searching for the danger.

"I'm sorry, go back to sleep." I say, trying to push him back down, but I'm freaking out. "I'm sorry."

"Minako, tell me what's wrong." He says, trying to comfort me. "Did you have one of those dreams? Who was it?"

"It was…someone we haven't met yet." I say, letting out a shaky breath. "And that's all you'll get out of me. I don't want to tell him that I dreamt of a daughter that we had together. Mother explained it in a dream. It seems dumb to me that I'm meant to specifically save my own daughter…but…

"Mina, please tell me who it is." He says, pulling me into his arms. I feel the tears well up and fall from my eyes before I can stop them. "Mina…"

"It was some time years from now…and it was our daughter." I say and he freezes up for a moment. "That's why I didn't want to say. You're freaked out now."

"Well of course, my daughter is in trouble and I don't know how to stop that from happening yet." He says and I look up at him. "You're not pregnant, are you?"

"Shikamaru, I figured that your father would have been the one to speak to you about this, but to get pregnant, you have to have sex." I say dryly. "So no, I'm not pregnant." I shake my head. "I said years from now, doofus."

"Doofus?" He asks with a laugh. I sigh as I get up, my back and several different joints popping in a disgusting sounding way.

"Go back to sleep. I've got to take a shower and then go plan your wedding." I say, collecting my things and heading into the bathroom. I turn the water on and step under the warm water. My hair reaches past the middle of my back now, which is nice. I've always liked my hair long. Sure it's harder to take care of, but I have the time now. I finish cleaning up and shut off the water. Once I'm dry I dress in my usual clothes. I squeeze the water from my hair before I brush it to let it dry in it's usual manner before I toss my clothes into the hamper and head back to our room. I sit down on the edge of the bed and bandage my left thigh before I attach my weapons pouch. The familiar weight is comforting. I attach my back pouches before I step into my shoes. I glance over and see that Shikamaru is fully dressed. "What are you doing?"

"Waiting for you." He says, opening one eye and looking at me before he closes it again. "Are you finally ready to go? We do have a wedding to finish planning for."

"Yeah, yeah." I say with a roll of my eyes. "Why are you so interested in wedding planning? Is it because I told you that you were gonna get a daughter? And this is my reward? That's all on you, honey."

"I could care less what sort of children we have as long as I get to be their dad and you're their mom." He says and I narrow my eyes at him. "I don't win?"

"Absolutely not." I say as I get up. He stands up as well and we head out together, locking the door behind us. "Do you ever think this is weird?"

"Yeah, but not a bad weird." He says as he puts his hands into his pockets. "Is it a bad weird for you?"

"Not a bad weird." I say with a smile. "Now come on, your mother has been very cranky lately and I know for a fact that your dad has been avoiding home as much as possible which is making it ten times worse. I have orders to attack on sight to bring him home….Speaking of which." I cast a paralysis genjutsu as I spot Shikaku. "Don't struggle, it'll only make this harder."

"What a drag." The older man says and I smile up at him. "She put you up to this, didn't she?"

"Yes, and I can't say I blame her. I can be annoying and stop people from leaving just like you guys…well not just like you guys. Mine's more of a mind trick rather than physical restraint." I say and he chuckles. "Are you going to come willingly?"

"I suppose…I don't want to get you in trouble too." He says and then I cancel out the jutsu. "The pesky Uchiha and their genjutsu."

"Hey, that saved our lives." I say and he offers a 'fair enough' look. "I've devised a plan to make her less grumpy and thus far my strategy has worked."

"Teach me your ways." Shikaku says…almost sounding desperate. "She is a lot crankier this time around." I toss him a scroll. "What's in here?"

"Caramel filled chocolates, bamboo infused fluffy socks, and a new bubble bath." I say and he raises his eyebrows. "Trust me. I'm a woman too. Now since I gave you some intel, what can you tell me about Sasuke and Itachi's mission. Mainly I want to know if it's Orochimaru related."

"That I can tell you. No it is not." He says and I feel a little bit relieved. "Have a little faith in them…Itachi is very skilled."

"Well I know that, but I also know that Sasuke still has hard feelings about the whole Uchiha massacre thing. Understandably so, but still." I say and he hums. "My work is never done."

"Maybe not, but at least you've still got both of them." Shikamaru says and I sigh. He puts his arm around my shoulders. It's something I'm normally not a fan of because it restricts my range of motion in case of an attack, but in this instance it's kind of nice. I may even dare to call it comforting. We reach the Nara main house and head inside. Yoshino's chakra is serene…she's sleeping. I locate Tohru and Sachiko in the dining room with our binders spread out on the table.

"She didn't tell you? All the two of you need to do now is show up and look pretty." Sachiko says and then she glances at her nephew. "Minako, you've certainly already got that covered but we have our work cut out for us on this one."

"Oh that was mean. He's very pretty." I say, cupping Shikamaru's chin. He glowers at me. "Aww look, he's smiling at me."

"There is one thing we need Minako for right now…Shikamaru go help your father with something." Tohru says as she reads something.

"Come along, son, they're almost as scary as your mother." Shikaku says and the two leave. I go over.

"What's up?" I ask and she smiles kindly before gesturing for me to sit down. This is weird.

"I just wanted to see how you were doing, Hon." She says and Sachiko rolls her eyes. "Sometimes at this point brides tend to get a little nervous."

"The only thing she'd be afraid of about marrying that boy is that he's lazy and we all know that all she has to do is tell him jump and he'll ask how high." Sachiko says and I chuckle. "Don't plant seeds of doubt."

"I'm not trying to do anything like that…you two are just…different." She says, trying and failing to come up with a word. "Most people your age who are getting married are a lot more…."

"Giggly? Mauling each other's faces off with their lips?" I ask and she laughs. "Shikamaru and I have a very intellectual relationship. I fell in love with the way his mind works and it's just an added benefit that I find him attractive." I shrug. "He's always done a good job of taking care of me even when I didn't want it and so I'm not worried at all about marrying him. The only thing that'll change is my name."

"See? I told you." Sachiko says and then she pats me on the shoulder. "I've known since the moment I met you that you were going to be my niece-in-law. Barely able to hold a mystical hands technique and you were still trying your hardest to heal his injuries."

"That was the first time I'd actually been able to do the technique." I say and she raises her eyebrows.

"I still can't believe that someone as impressive as you is marrying my nephew." She shakes her head and I laugh. "I guess stranger things have happened."

"For me, most definitely. Getting married is the most normal thing to ever happen to me I think. I'm just crossing my fingers, hoping that nothing screws it up." I say and she pats me on top of my head. "I'm not that worried though. We're coming down to the line...he's almost stuck with me!"

* * *

I run up on the scene and I'm immediately pissed off. I recognize the clothing that the enemies are wearing as that of the Sound village. Orochimaru's men. Shikamaru, Temari, and Kankuro are fighting hard…it seems like I'm going to need a lot of power. I make the seal and release my reserve seal.

"Fire style, dragon fire jutsu!" I take out four guys with the molten hot flame before I enter the fray in hand to hand combat. The smell of burning flesh assaults my nose, but I power through. That's not something you ever get used to.

"Nice of you to join us!" Kankuro says as he mixes in taijutsu with his puppet work. It must take incredible focus to do that, it's almost impressive.

"You're probably the only person happy to see me." I say with somewhat of a laugh as I duck a blow from the henchman. I focus chakra into my fist and punch him in the chest. He slams against the face of the cliff, gasping for breath, but it's useless. I crushed his ribcage. I perform summoning jutsu as I backflip away from an enemy. A small squadron of air support sparrows arrives. "Provide backup where needed!" I don't wait for their confirmation. Kankuro has these guys handled, so I move to help Shikamaru and Temari.

"Shikamaru!" Temari calls out, but then I hear the splash of blood. My eyes widen and all I hear is the sound of my blood pounding through my veins. I create a half tiger seal to focus chakra and then I crouch with a hand on the ground. Ninja art: Flaming Retribution. Fire floods through the lines of chakra I've sent to our enemies and they burst into flames. I calmly make my way over to my fiancé, ignoring the screams of the men around me and I begin trying to heal his injuries. They're extensive. "What do you need?"

"I need another set of healing hands. Riko, go back and send Kimi. Tomoyo, take the others and scout the area." I say, not stopping in my attempts to control the bleeding. I hear as they obey their orders. Kimi appears right on the other side of Shikamaru and she begins working with me. "Regulate his heart while I work on the damage. The last thing we need is cardiac arrest."

"Yes ma'am." She says as she moves to work on that. "He's waking up, should I put him back under?"

"No. Temari, there's a small bottle in my left back pouch. The liquid is pink, give that to him." I say and she wordlessly does just that. "Shikamaru, are you with me?"

"Am I ever not?" He asks but I don't crack a smile at all. "Sorry you're wasting your chakra on me."

"Shut the fuck up before I carve my initials on your pancreas." I say and he rests a reassuring hand on my leg. "And it would be with my maiden name too. You don't get the honor of having M.N on your pancreas."

"As long as that's what you call yourself once we're married, that's all that matters." He says and I fight the urge to roll my eyes. "Your seal…"

"Won't go away. I haven't used that much." I say and then I finish up what I'm doing. "You good, Kimi?"

"Yes, Milady." She says, trying to sound strong but she looks a bit peckish. I rest my hand on her head and transfer some chakra to her. "You didn't have to do that."

"Without you he would've gone into cardiac arrest and I most likely would have panicked, so yes, I did. Now go home and get some rest. Take Tomoyo and the others with you." I say and she hops onto my shoulder and nuzzles my cheek.

"Yes, Milady. Please take care of yourself." She says and then she flies off. I sigh as I sit back. Shikamaru sits up slowly. I cut off the flow of chakra from my reserve seal and the black lines crawl back across my body to converge above my belly button.

"It doesn't seem like any of them got away." Kankuro says as he looks around. "I've never seen that side of you before, Minako. What kind of technique was that?"

"I call it a ninja art. When you can't just light the entire thing on fire, I've adapted using chakra strings to attach to my enemies to light them on fire." I say and Shikamaru sighs.

"It seems like the angrier you are, the hotter the flames." He says and then I pull out a blood replenishment tablet and pop it into his mouth. "You know I hate those things."

"Then don't be a fuckhead." I say as I stand up. Temari looks shocked. "Are you okay? I've got plenty of chakra if there are any other injuries…"

"I'm fine." She says, recovering from whatever shock that she'd endured. "He didn't mention that you two were engaged…"

"Or that you were dating." Kankuro says and I chuckle, shaking my head as I offer my hand to Shikamaru. He allows for me to help him up. "How long has that been going on?"

"About two years now." I say and Temari looks shocked again. "The wedding is pretty much when we'll be getting back from here. If you guys can make it, we'd love to have you at the reception." I consider Kankuro a friend…Temari…well I tolerate her. I've never been able to quite get over her haughty attitude. I wave a hand then. "But we can talk about that later." I look at Shikamaru. "We have orders to wait in Suna until reinforcements come."

"Alright. Then we'll head back." Kankuro says, surveying the area. "We're ready when you are."

"Let's move out." Shikamaru says and then the four of us are travelling towards the Sand village. I'm not entirely sure how to feel about Shikamaru not telling them that we were together…I mean sure it probably doesn't come up in conversation a lot, but she's always been pretty obviously interested in him.

"How are your brothers doing?" Kankuro asks and I smile at the normalcy…he isn't making a big deal out of it, but Temari's entire demeanor has changed.

"Good. Sasuke's still trying to figure out how he feels about Itachi being back, but for the most part it's been peaceful. I haven't had to fight him again, so I tack that up as a win." I say and he laughs. "Kakashi has them trying to convince me to take students. Itachi hasn't been so bad, but Sasuke is annoying as hell."

"I think you'll do alright. Yeah, you're a hard ass, but you do it out of love. For example, carving your initials onto Shikamaru's pancreas. If that doesn't stake a claim, I don't know shit about love." He says and I laugh so hard I snort. It's mostly quiet the rest of the way back to Suna which isn't great because I'm thinking. Why didn't he tell them that we were getting married? I don't openly broadcast it to everyone because I'm not the sort to brag at work or something…but it is kind of a big deal and they are technically our friends. There's also the matter of how much he's dragged his feet with helping plan. He's…having second thoughts about us. I look at my left hand as we reach the entrance to the village and jump slightly when Shikamaru takes my right hand. We sign in and the sand siblings escort us to the hotel that we stayed in the last time I was here. Only one room this time though…I sort of wish they'd put us up in two rooms. I'm…angry. Once we're in the room I look around.

"Go ahead and take your shower first." I say as I detach my weapons pouches and organize them. He walks over and pulls me into his arms. I hug him and try to pretend like nothing is wrong…because I mean…is it really rational to feel that way?

"Thanks for patching me up…also for only threatening to carve your initials onto my pancreas." He says and I laugh a little. "I love you."

"I love you too. Now go, Stinky." I say, shoving him away. He shakes his head as he heads into the bathroom. I sit down on the couch and cross my legs, folding my arms together. I should ask him about it…I mean…he probably isn't having second thoughts about us. Is he? I'm startled when he touches my knee. I look up at him. "What?"

"I was trying to get your attention. Are you okay?" He asks, sounding worried. He crouches in front of me, prying my hands away from my stomach to hold them.

"Why…didn't you tell them that we were getting married?" I ask and his eyebrows furrow together for a moment before understanding brings them apart. "And you've not wanted to help that much with planning the wedding….I'm sure about you, but are you still sure about me?"

"Mina, don't be ridiculous. It just isn't something that came up. Other people don't have to be fully aware of us for our relationship to matter. The only thing that matters is you and I." He says and I look away.

"It's not a secret that Temari is interested in you." I say and he sighs as he sits down on the couch beside me. "I know that you can be pretty dumb sometimes, but I figured you'd at least be smart enough to realize that."

"Yeah, but it's never been a problem because I've only ever been interested in you." He says and I can't bring myself to look at him.

"That's not totally true." I say, feeling my heart drop into the pit of my stomach. "You said that before you realized that you liked me, you tried to like her."

"The other part of that was that she was all wrong because she isn't you. There is nobody as selfless and loving as you are." He says, but I still don't look at him.

"I'm going to take a shower now." I get up and he grabs my hand. "What?" I don't quite snap at him.

"The only romantic love I have for anyone belongs to you, Mina." He says and I dare a look at him. He's concerned. "The only two people that matter are the two of us. Haven't we talked about that before?"

"Yes, but when another girl is interested in you, you are to inform her that you are otherwise engaged to someone else." I say and he sighs. "I'm going to take a shower now." I take my hand back and go into the bathroom. Coming here….while it wasn't a mistake because I saved his life, has certainly made things more complicated.


	13. Sensei

**Hey guys! Sorry that I took so long to update...I'm trying really hard to keep motivation for this story and I've got some ideas in my noggin now, so hopefully it won't be so long! I've noticed that I have some new favs and follows, thank you so much for your support! I hope that you enjoy this chapter!**

"What are you doing up here?" Kankuro asks as he lands on the roof, standing behind me.

"Hiding. I made sure it was cool with the chunin downstairs first, so I hope they don't get in trouble." I say, daring a glance over my shoulder.

"Oh no, it's fine." He says, walking over and sitting down beside me. "I was tasked with finding you. You're a difficult person to track down."

"He no doubt warned you of my uncanny ability to avoid people." I say with an amused smirk making its way to my lips.

"In his own home…for a month…that's impressive." He says and I laugh, resting my forehead against my knees. "What's wrong?"

"We don't seriously argue very often…" I say, definitely needing the clarification because they've witnessed our banter before. "I'm mad at him…I'm probably being overly sensitive. He's probably worried I'm going to call off the wedding or something. He tends to panic easily where I'm concerned."

"I get that." He says and I chuckle. "Wanna talk about it? I might be able to tell you if you're being a pansy or not."

"Thanks, Kankuro." I say with a laugh but then I sigh. "I'm mad at him for not telling you guys about us."

"Oh no, you're not being a pansy at all." He says very seriously and I look at him. "If I were engaged to you, everyone would know about it. People would be sick of hearing about it."

"Temari really likes him, doesn't she?" I ask and he looks a little uncomfortable. "That's part of the reason why I'm upset. The only reason I didn't tell him that I loved him sooner is because I thought he was interested in her. It's not a jealous thing because if he didn't want to be with me that would be it. That's fine…I just feel kind of bad because she looked kind of hurt."

"You actually saw that in the brief moment she showed it? That's impressive." He says and I sigh. "Yeah she's hurt, but she'll be alright. Temari's strong."

"That's not the point. It was a dick move of him to not say anything. He's too smart not to notice something like that. I made it a point not to show him that I cared about him like that because I didn't want to screw up any chances he had with interested parties…" I say and then I sigh again. "What's he doing?"

"Training. I've never seen that guy willingly train." He says and I lay back on the roof, staring up at the sky.

"Ah, that means I should avoid him until dinner time." I say and he shakes his head. "What? He's pissed off. Sometimes I make him so angry that he doesn't know what to do, so he willingly trains. It used to be very scary before I realized that he was actually taking his job very seriously. It's no good for me to talk to him now because if he gets a tone, we may level the village."

"I'll take your word for it then. I'd hate to see you that angry." He says and I laugh. "You know, I had the biggest crush on you for years." I raise an eyebrow. "I never said anything because I figured you'd end up with that guy. But it's a good thing…because he's good for you. Levels you out."

"Shikamaru mentioned that. He hated your freakin' guts the time I came here with him." I say and he laughs. "That was a confusing time for me."

"I can imagine. Are you hungry?" He asks and as if on cue, my stomach growls audibly. "He mentioned that you skipped out on breakfast to avoid him."

"Yeah…jumped out a window and everything. It was hilarious." I say and he chuckles. "Oh! How is Sora doing?"

"She's doing really well. She may even graduate early." He says and I feel a proud smile fall across my face.

"Speaking of graduates. I'm taking on genin." I say and he raises his eyebrows. "Believe me, it's with a great amount of reluctance. I meet them when I get back."

"You'll be great at it. Especially for your kunoichi, she'll really look up to you. I can tell with the way you handled Sora." He says and I snicker.

"I've got two kunoichi. An aspiring genjutsu user and a seemingly unmotivated Nara. I'm silently observed her…she's going to do well." I say with a nod. "I'm just nervous because what if I fuck these kids up?"

"Like I said, you'll be great at it. I don't think they'd give them to you if they thought you'd mess it up." He says and I sigh again. "I know that if he can't convince you, I certainly won't be able to. I'm just glad that you're at least trying."

"Thanks." I say and then I hop up. "Don't take it personally, but I think I'm going to grab lunch by myself."

"Sure. No problem." He says, standing up as well. "Take care of yourself…and try not to tear down my village."

"I'll do my best." I say, putting a hand over my heart. Then I use the body flicker technique. I stop in front of the least strange looking restaurant. It's set up sort of like Ichiraku, except the seating is a little deeper in. Perhaps a precautionary measure against surprise sand storms? I don't know. I notice a familiar pony tail and turn to get out of there.

"Please don't." Shikamaru says as he turns to look at me. He looks…miserable. I go over and sit down beside him. He slides a bowl to me. "I figured you'd show up here right about now."

"And how did you come to that conclusion?" I ask, mildly amused. "I've never been here before in my life."

"The food here is a little too adventurous for you." He says, a small smile gracing his features. "This is relatively safe and I know that you skipped breakfast…and so I knew that you'd be hungry right about now. You're a creature of habit as hard as you try not to be to get under my skin."

"You love that about me." I say as I lean my head against his arm in a sort of hug. I try the noodles in front of me and they're pretty good. "Kankuro said that you were training..."

"It's not what you think." He says, cracking a smile again. "I was upset, but I'm not angry with you."

"That's a relief, because then I'd have to fight you for being a moron." I say and he shakes his head.

"I hate when you're angry with me." He says after a moment. "Because when you are, it's not like when you're angry with anyone else. If you're mad at Sasuke, you'll punch him. If you're mad at me…you shut me out. As if it isn't hard enough to read you already…"

"To be fair, you aren't my brother. Spousal battery is frowned upon…even if we aren't married yet we're close enough." I say and then I finish my noodles. I drink the broth. Shikamaru lays some money down and then we head off together. I'm assuming that he ate already?

"Nah, it's perfectly alright. Mom has been knocking Dad around plenty. She says he's being especially annoying this time around with the whole pregnancy thing." He says and I laugh. He smiles. "I'm sorry…"

"I don't want you to be sorry. I want you to be absolutely certain about marrying me." I say and he looks angry for a second.

"How could you think that I wasn't? Because I don't broadcast my every feeling to the world?" He asks, taking that tone with me. Just when I thought it was going to be okay. No…I need to calm down.

"Shikamaru, if you want to talk with me and work things out then you need to adjust how you're speaking to me." I say, proud of how level my tone is. He looks surprised. "What? I'm going to be your wife and married people talk shit out. So don't be a dick. Just talk to me." He takes my hand and pulls me off to the side so that we're out of the flow of people before he hugs me. I rest my head against his chest and sigh.

"Sorry." He says and I blow raspberries. "You're right…I'm being a jerk about this. You have every right to be angry with me."

"I don't need your permission to be angry with you." I say, my eyebrows raised in spite of the fact that he can't see them. "But I think I can forgive you…but only if you're really nice to me and call me your queen and whatnot."

"I think you're pushing it." He says and I laugh. He sighs. "I am sorry for making you think that I wasn't serious about you."

"You'd better be." I say and then I yawn. I also waited until he fell asleep last night to return to the hotel room. That took a long time. "I'm going back to the hotel to take a nap."

"I'll come with you." He says and I smile before I step out of the hug and begin walking. He catches up and takes my right hand. He glances at my left hand. "You're not wearing your ring?"

"Doofus, you never noticed?" I ask as I pull the chain around my neck and pull the ring into sight. "I don't wear it on my hand when I'm on missions so I don't mess it up. This way I know that it's safe."

"I didn't notice." He says, sounding astounded. "How did I not notice that?" I chuckle and tuck the ring back into place.

"Well darling, you have gone on more missions than me lately." I say and he offers a 'fair enough' look. "I'm only here because they didn't have anyone else at the time. I'm glad it was me."

"I just hate that you ran from here to Wind Country in a day and a half." He says and I snicker. "Freak."

"You weren't complaining when I was putting you back together." I say, squeezing his hand. "Would have made better time, but I had sparrows scouting for me so I didn't run into any unwelcome surprises. You would have known two days sooner had you not been an ass."

"Yeah, yeah." He says with a roll of his eyes. We make it back to the hotel and silently make our way back to our room.

* * *

"Sensei, do you really think I'm ready for this sort of thing?" I ask as I look up at Iruka-sensei. He smiles fondly at me.

"Minako, you've always been extremely talented. You've also always had a natural talent for knowing what people need. So I think that you'll make a wonderful sensei." He says and then he knocks on Kakashi's office door.

"Come in." He drawls and Iruka-sensei leads the way inside. I spot Haruka instantly and realization dawns on her just as instantly.

"This can't be right." She says as she looks to Kakashi. I see the brief look of challenge before she looks down at the ground. "Lord Kakashi, Minako is marrying my cousin. It's not like a third cousin or anything. I share more than basic Nara genes with him."

"It's perfectly alright." He says as he stands up. "Both Iruka and I have known Minako for many years and she won't let a little something like marriage get in the way of your learning something new." He waves away the thought dismissively. "But now, I think I should introduce her to your team mates. Minako Uchiha, this is Raiden Nakashima and Yui Imada. Of course you know of Haruka."

"Yes." I say with a smile. "Well, now that we've been acquainted, why don't we get out of their hair and catch up on some training?"

"That sounds great, Sensei!" Yui exclaims, leaping a good half a foot in the air and pumping her fist. My smile feels less forced now. I wave to Iruka-sensei and Kakashi before the four of us head outside. "So if I can ask, why were you late?"

"Well, you see, my fiancé got himself into some trouble in the Land of Wind and so I had to go and save him. That itself didn't take so long, but we had to wait for backup to come so that it wasn't just the two of us running back here. That took three days, so I was gone a total of seven days which happened to fall on graduation day and such. I'm really sorry about that."

"Wait a minute, Sensei…" Raiden says, counting on his fingers. "Doesn't it take three days to run to the Sand village?"

"She's really fast." Haruka says, shocking her teammates. "Like really fast. She's a medical-nin."

"I was fast before that. But I knew that I wanted to do it and so the best advice I can give you is that they can't hurt you if they can't catch you. Running away is your most valuable asset sometimes." I say with a shrug. "It probably helped just a little bit that I was in competition with my brother." We arrive at the training grounds. "So I think we should start by getting to know each other a little better. I'll start." I say as I plop down onto the ground. They follow suit. "My name is Minako Uchiha. When I was your age, I wanted to specialize in medical ninjutsu and become a phenomenal kunoichi just like Lady Tsunade. A fun fact about me is that I'm getting married tomorrow. It won't affect your training at all, I've planned things around it so that I can dedicate my time to your enrichment."

"Married?" Yui asks, hearts filling her eyes. "What's he like? Is he tall? Handsome?" I laugh a little.

"He's alright, I guess." I say with a shrug. "He'd probably say the same thing about me." She gasps.

"Then he must be a fantastic specimen!" She exclaims and Haruka makes a fake gagging noise.

"That's my cousin you're talking about." She says and I chuckle. "I guess I'll go next. Haruka Nara. I don't really care what I specialize in and a fun fact is that I'm left handed."

"Very good, Haruka. Thank you for sharing." I say with a smile and she shrugs, looking away. "Yui, why don't you go next?"

"Okay!" She exclaims and then she clears her throat. "My name is Yui Imada. I wish to specialize in genjutsu and a fun fact is that I'm the fastest genin in our year!"

"I'll hold you to that." I say and her cheeks flush red. "Alright…Raiden?" I look to the boy and he sits up straight.

"Raiden Nakashima. I am interested in sealing jutsu and…" He looks around. "Uh…I have a tanto that my brother left to me when he went off to fight in the war. He came home and everything, but he told me to keep it just in case I ever needed to defend someone I cared about. So I think I'd really like to learn how to use it better."

"You're in luck. I just so happen to be very proficient in both tanto and katana." I say and Haruka expresses interest very briefly.

"What don't you do?" She asks and I chuckle. "That must be what he meant…you're annoyingly everywhere all at once."

"Shikamaru just says that because he thinks that just because I'm a girl I need to be protected." I say with a wave of dismissal. "Now that we've introduced ourselves, what would you all like to do now? We could call it a day, or we could put your skills to the test…see if you've got what it takes to actually be Hidden Leaf shinobi."

"Bring it on!" Yui exclaims as she jumps up. "We'll totally kick your butt, Sensei!" I roll backwards and fall into an easy stance. Raiden and Haruka fall in with her wordlessly and I already like the teamwork.

"Very good…but Yui you'll want to be the furthest back as the genjutsu user. I'd wager that Haruka is a more mid-range fighter and Raiden, you're interested in weaponry and seals so that'd be better towards the front. You'll want to stagger yourselves so that you can't all be taken down in one hit. Some higher level shinobi have area of effect attacks that will demolish a team that's in too close together. Go ahead and attack." I gesture them forward and Raiden moves. Haruka moves in on my other side to try and distract me. He looks like he'll hit harder. Yui is working through hand seals. Once the other two are close enough I drop into a sweep that gets both of them. I look at Yui and cast a paralysis genjutsu. She panics for a moment before she takes a deep breath. I feel the surge of chakra across the field and she breaks out of it. I notice a shadow crawling towards me and I leap away. This is going to be an interesting fight.

* * *

"You did great for your first day of training with me." I say as I walk Haruka home…well she's riding on my back. She extended too much of her chakra in trying to use the shadow possession technique. "You got a decent hit in and so I think you should be proud of yourself."

"You kicked our butts." She says dryly and I chuckle. "We didn't have a chance. Why'd you make us think that we did?"

"Because I've seen crazier things happen than a bunch of genin taking down a single, silly jonin." I say and she scoffs.

"You think I haven't heard Dad talking about you? My brother hasn't heard the end of it since Shikamaru proposed to you." She says and I feel a little bad. "So I wish you'd cut the humble crap. You know you're amazing, so don't try to pretend like you're not."

"I don't think I'm amazing." I say and I feel the force of her eye roll. "Honey, I literally only learned all that I did so that I could keep my brother from making stupid mistakes. Being a twin sister is a lot of hard work. Not only am I the pretty one, I'm also the smart one. He's literally only got height and technical patriarchal superiority on me." That earns a little bit of a laugh. "I could care less what people think of my abilities. As long as I can protect the people I love at the end of the day, that's all that matters."

"I like that idea." She says quietly. "I…heard from somewhere that you're the reason why Uncle Shikaku came home from the war."

"Well not solely…but I did play a part in that. It wasn't to do anyone any favors…I've always loved him a lot and I owe him so much." I say and then I hum. "That doesn't make him any less annoying. That's exactly where Shikamaru gets it from."

"That's all the men in our family, unfortunately." She says with a sigh. "What's worse is that Aunt Sachiko is just as bad!"

"Your Aunt Sachiko is a fucking legend. I mean freakin'. Don't curse." I say and she laughs. "I blame my sensei. I was a decent person until he started teaching me."

"Are you trying to corrupt her already?" Shikamaru asks as he falls into step with me. "How many times did I have to carry you home from the training fields from exhaustion?"

"Absolutely zero." I say, puffing out my chest in a prideful manner. "Any time you did there was a tremendous amount of protest and name calling."

"If that's what you want to call it." He says and I stick my foot out to try and trip him. "Real mature."

"No matter what she does she'll still act more mature than our dads." Haruka says and he offers a 'fair enough' look. "And I'm not exhausted, my chakra is. She tried to kill us."

"I did not try to kill you." I say with a roll of my eyes. "I was trying to get a feel of what you need to work on. Yours is building up your chakra stores…also working on that temper."

"I don't have a temper." She says, temper flaring. I chuckle. She'll learn, just like I did, that a temper only makes things worse.

"Also, who is the jonin in this situation? You guys are fresh faced genin. I'd be seriously impressed if you took me down in our first encounter. As it stands, I'm pretty sure we're going to be a great team." I say and she shuts up. Shikamaru smiles almost endearingly. We arrive at her home and Shikamaru knocks on the door. Tohru answers.

"Mom, I don't need to introduce Minako-sensei." Haruka says as she hops down off of my back. I steady her when she wobbles. "Now I'm going to go and take a bath." She ducks inside.

"Thank you for bringing her home." Tohru says, glancing back at her daughter briefly with a fond smile. "How'd she do?"

"Unsurprisingly, she's advanced for her age. I actually think she has a better grasp on the Nara techniques than Shikamaru when he was twelve." I say and the fond smile is replaced with a proud one. "I'm a little concerned with her teamwork, but she's not nearly as bad as my brother so it'll work out just fine."

"I'm glad." She says and then she sighs. "She's a strong-willed girl and that's great, but she can be so stubborn sometimes."

"Minako is the perfect fit for her then. She'll teach her how to be stubborn, but not be totally unreasonable about it." Shikamaru says and she smiles. "We'll see you at the rehearsal dinner?"

"Of course, Sweetie." She says and then she smiles at me. "Thank you again for bringing her home."

"Not at all. See you in a while." I say with a wave and then the three of us part ways. "I'm a bad sensei."

"You're not a bad sensei." Shikamaru says with a roll of his eyes. "Haruka loves you." I shrug. "You didn't see the look on her face when you told her that you thought the four of you would make a great team."

"Meh." I say, waving a hand in dismissal. "Let me wallow for once. I'm afraid I'm not going to be able to help them accomplish what they want to do. Raiden is interested in sealing and Yui wants to be a genjutsu master. I'm at least decent with genjutsu, but my knowledge on sealing is very basic. I guess I'll need to start reading up. Also, I need to start working with my tanto again. I'm going to start teaching him once we get their team work up to par."

"See? You're a great sensei." He says and I roll my eyes. Itachi lands in front of us then. I grin before I run over and jump on his back.

"Hey Big Brother, guess what? Your sister is a sensei. Whether I'm a good one or not is still up in the air, but…" I say, earning an eye roll from Shikamaru. "What are you doing home, where's Sasuke?"

"I believe that he is currently being berated by Sakura for professing his love and then running away." He says, adjusting his hold on me so that I don't fall. "And that's great, he hadn't mentioned that you were taking students." Always so calm. "I'm sure that you're a fine sensei. What you don't know you make up for in enthusiasm for learning something new."

"Meh." I say, resting my chin on his shoulder. "Anyway, how is your girl doing?" I ask and he drops my legs. I gasp as I fall backwards. He quickly catches me, looking very amused. "What? You don't want me to talk about your not-girlfriend?"

"Emiko and I are friends." He says and I wag my eyebrows at him. "Honestly, Minako…"

"I never got to be an annoying little sister. If you can be annoying doting brother, then I have every right." I say, standing up straight. "And besides, Emiko is great and I think that she likes you. Honestly Itachi, you're not getting any younger."

"Thank you, Minako." He says, still amused. "It is an honor to have your blessing." I jump up and try to put him in a headlock. "When has this ever worked out for you?"

"Well there's the time I kicked your ass when I was twelve." I say and his change in attitude is instant. "Itachi…"

"I would like to clarify one thing…I wasn't even trying." He says and I tighten my headlock.

"You did not let me cut you. I saw how surprised you were. Especially when I pulled the dance of the crescent moon. Everyone was so angry with me after that fight. Sasuke could've strangled me then and there had Shikamaru not made it to me first to chew me out." I say, sounding amused.

"And of course there you were in the hospital trying to act as cool as ever." My fiancé says dryly.

"Excuse me? Act cool? I am and have always been cool." I say and that causes my brother to chuckle.

"More like you've always been psychotic. I don't know how much you know about her early days as a genin, but she was essentially the second-in-command of Team Kenta because Izanagi and Junichi were terrified that she was going to kill them." He says and I roll my eyes.

"They were only scared of me because they wouldn't stop bickering, I got pissed off, and yelled at them just like I would Sasuke." I explain. "It wasn't until after they got used to me that I actually promised to use deadly force if Sasuke didn't stop being a little fuck."

"That story I've heard." Itachi says dryly. "The sword made from bone?" He asks and I chuckle.

"It was actually the guy's spine." I say and then I shake my head. "At least if my genin go through half the crazy shit I went through, I know I'll be able to keep my cool because nothing surprises me anymore."

"I can agree with you there." Shikamaru says and I smile. He looks up at the sun. "We should probably head home so that we can get ready for the rehearsal dinner."

"Don't be late." I say as I kiss my brother on the cheek. I drop down from his back and smile up at him before I take off running. "Last one home has to do laundry!"

"Not this time!" Shikamaru calls after me and I can tell that he's gaining fast. I laugh before I take a short cut. I push myself to run faster and before I know it, our apartment is in sight. I see Shikamaru and I laugh as I skip the stairs all together. I wait until he's at the base before I touch the door. I smirk at him as I unlock it and head inside. "I'm convinced that you cheated."

"Darling, we both know that I don't have to cheat to beat you. That's how I'm able to avoid you so artfully." I say and he smacks my butt as I'm walking away. "Watch it!"

"Yes ma'am." He says and I roll my eyes. "Hurry up and take your shower. I'm going to make you deal with my mother if we're late."

"She'll still blame you!" I sing as I walk into the bathroom and turn the water on. "Hey, bring me clothes?"

"Only because I think Choji is stopping by." He says and I poke my head out the door, glaring at him.

"Since when are you such a pervert?" I ask and he gets a proud smirk on his face before he goes and grabs my clothes.

"Maybe I've always been, I just didn't think it was appropriate." He says and I narrow my eyes at him as I take the clothes. "You do realize that you're incredibly beautiful, right?"

"Eh, I'm alright." I say with a shrug before I close the door. I take my shower relatively quickly. I didn't break a sweat at all with my students, which was a little discouraging for them, but in the long run I think it'll be beneficial. Once I'm clean, I dry off and pull on my shorts and tank top. I wrap my hair in my towel and head out. As I walk past Shikamaru, I gently rub his back once as a show of affection. "Hey Choji." I greet with a smile.

"Hey Minako, how's it going? Are you excited for the wedding?" He asks and I grunt in acknowledgement.

"Honestly? I'm ready for things to get back to normal. It's been like we've been married since we were twelve. The only thing changing is my name." I say and he chuckles.

"That's true, but it's going to be a lot of fun." He says and I shrug as I go to the fridge and grab a bottle of water.

"Do you want something to drink?" I ask looking over my shoulder at him and he shakes his head. "Alright. I'll leave you boys to talk." I wink before I head to the bedroom. I dry my hair before I brush through it and braid my bangs back. I secure it with a pin before I pull on my dress. It's a simple affair. Blue with some pretty embroidery along the hem. The part that makes me comfortable with it is the slit. If I need to move quickly, I won't be hindered by it. I step into my strappy sandals before I sit down at my vanity and put on some makeup.

"I don't think she meant anything by it…" I hear Choji say in a quiet voice. I've been trying really hard not to listen…but that really caught my attention. "You know that she loves you. More than anything."

"Well, not anything, but I know." Shikamaru says and then he sighs. "I just don't want her to think that this isn't something special. We…had a fight while we were in the sand village."

"Because you hadn't told Temari about the two of you?" Choji asks and Shikamaru sighs again. "I told you that you should say something."

"She thought that I wasn't serious about her. That I didn't really want to marry her." He says and I frown to myself. "She found all of this out after taking care of some pretty serious injuries on me and I felt terrible about it."

"Don't beat yourself up too badly over it." Choji says comfortingly. "If she were upset with you, she wouldn't be acting normal. She's kind of like a cat with how she shows you affection." That makes Shikamaru laugh.

"I guess she is, isn't she?" He asks and I smile as I lay his clothes out. If he doesn't get dressed soon, we definitely will be late. I take one last look in the mirror before I head out. Shikamaru looks up at me and he smiles, my favorite smile.

"You'd better hurry up and get dressed, otherwise your mother will be right in blaming you for us being late." I say and he looks at the clock and sighs. "I laid your clothes out."

"Thanks." He says and he kisses the top of my head as he walks by me to go to our room to change. I sit down across from Choji at the table.

"Thank you." I say to him and he looks confused for a moment. "For talking to him about it."

"You guys are two of my closest friends." He says and I smile. "He loves you a lot. Always has."

"I tried to tell him, didn't I?" I ask and he laughs. "I think our lives would be so much easier if we didn't argue with each other so much."

"Yeah? You gonna stop arguin' with me?" Shikamaru asks as he walks out of our room. I smirk at him. "Didn't think so. I'll stop when you do."

"Darling, we both know who the more stubborn one is between the two of us." I say and he shakes his head. "Are you boys ready?"

"Yep!" Choji says brightly and I smile as I stand up. "But we'd better hurry. You can't really move well in that dress."

"That's what fiancé's are for." I say as I jump onto Shikamaru's back. "It's been a while, hasn't it?"

"Yes, you've been surprisingly not lazy." He says and I chuckle. The three of us head out. As we land in front of where the rehearsal dinner is being held, I spot Sasuke. Shikamaru lets me down and I run over and hug my brother.

"I'm so proud of you even though you ran like a little bitch." I say and he stands there for a moment before he returns the hug.

"Yeah? Well I can't let you have all the fun, can I?" He asks and I look up at him with wide eyes. "What?"

"You…asked her to marry you?" I ask and he shrugs. I smack his chest. "Idiot! You're supposed to make that sort of thing special for a girl! Especially after how much of a dick you've been to her!"

"You call me an idiot!? He literally just slid a ring across the table to you!" Sasuke shouts back at me.

"But then he got down on one knee! I'd been seriously injured not even twenty minutes before!" I say and then I put my hands on my hips. "You'd better make it up to her. I swear, as much of a romantic as I am you'd think…" I shake my head.

"Your idea of romance is cutting down enemies together." Sasuke says and I smirk up at him.

"Yeah? Well my fiancé happens to find me very attractive when I'm cutting down my enemies." I say and Shikamaru chuckles.

"I wouldn't say that's what's attractive, but we should probably head inside." He says, placing a guiding arm around me. I wonder how frequent this will be once we're married.

* * *

"Get your asses movin'!" I exclaim as I jog in place. "Don't think I don't see you being the slowest one back there, Haruka! You've got to do better than that!"

"You're psychotic." She huffs and I laugh cheerfully. "It's not our fault that Yui is a freak who finished fifteen minutes ago."

"She doesn't have lead in her pants. Now come on! Less griping, more jogging! No chakra enhancement!" I'm still jogging in place. Raiden apparently gets a second wind because he takes off running.

"For the love of…" Haruka huffs but then she takes off running. I jog behind them, smiling to myself.

"Remember, once you're done that's it for the day!" I call and Raiden seems to run faster. I chuckle. Once we reach our determined finish line, Haruka collapses on the ground. It really isn't fair…she'd nearly exhausted her chakra before we started in on the mostly physical stuff. "Here." I say as I sit down beside her. My hands glow blue as I neutralize my chakra and transfer some into her system. "How does that feel?"

"Better…thanks." She says as she sits up. "How do you do that so quickly? You have to neutralize it first, don't you?"

"I have a lot of practice." I say with a smile. "You guys did really great today, I'm proud."

"Thanks Sensei!" Yui exclaims with a bright smile. "Are we free to go? I've got to go and help my mom with something!"

"Of course, just remember to report to the mission desk at one. We'll complete a few D-ranks." I say with a smile. "Raiden, don't forget to run through those exercises."

"Yes, Sensei." He says, bowing his head. I smile. "Do you think that I've gotten any better with the tanto?"

"A little bit. You've got quite a ways to go, but I'm happy with where you're at considering we've only been together about a month." I say and he looks pleased with himself. "Alright, we'll call it a day. See you tomorrow."

"Okay." He says with a nod and then he and Yui are walking away. Haruka sighs and rests her head in her hands. I wait…she'll talk when she's ready.

"I'll walk you home…make sure you make it alright." I offer as I stand up and offer my hand. She looks at it for a moment before she takes it and allows for me to pull her up. We begin walking towards the Nara compound.

"Sensei…" She starts and then she shakes her head. I smile, still waiting patiently. "You learned medical ninjutsu because you wanted to be able to help the people you loved."

"You are correct. My brother has a habit of being reckless and so I wanted to be able to patch him up when he was particularly stupid." I say and she hums. "I also felt compelled to do it when I became part of Team Kenta…my world had always been full of Shikamaru and Sasuke, but then all of a sudden I have two more bozos who I would lay down my life for…they became like family to me."

"Could you…teach me medical ninjutsu?" She asks hesitantly. "I want you to do it because I don't want to do it for the Nara…I want to do it because I want to do it."

"We'll have to do a lot of supplemental lessons." I say and she nods. "It's going to be grueling and I'm going to force you to get a lot faster. There are rules that medical shinobi must adhere to. Are you dedicated enough?"

"Yes, Sensei." She says, determination filling her tone. "When can we start?" She asks and I feel the smile fall across my face.

"I'll go through my things and find some of my beginner materials this evening. I may bring them by after you guys have dinner, if you don't mind." I say and she shakes her head. "Just be careful not to overdo it in your studies…sleep deprivation doesn't work out so well for everyone."

"I promise I will be." She says and I ruffle her hair. "Sensei." She glowers at me as she smooths it back into place. A man falls into step with us and I recognize immediately that it's her father.

"How did she do today?" He asks, resting his hand on top of her head as he looks at me. I smile.

"She was phenomenal. She's very proficient with the Nara techniques…based on my knowledge of them, the next set would be child's play for her." I say and he gets a proud, fatherly smile.

"I'll be sure to keep that in mind." He says fondly. "Shikamaru was looking for you, so I came to walk my daughter home."

"Oh, alright." I say with a smile. "I'll get those books to you later, Haruka. And I mean it, be extra careful." I then jog away. I'll check the apartment first. As I head in that direction, my husband falls into step with me.

"You're an evil sensei." He says and I give him an innocent look. "I spotted you guys earlier…poor Haruka."

"It's good for her…I'm building up her will. She asked me to teach her medical ninjutsu. Tell you parents or hers and I'll kill you myself." I say and he chuckles. "I was told that you were looking for me?"

"Ah yes, there's something I want to talk to you about, but I feel like I need to bribe you with really good food first. You feel up for a quick trip out of the village?" He asks and I raise an eyebrow at him.

"Sure? What's so big that you have to bribe me?" I ask and he takes my hand and leads the way towards the front gate. Once we're in the forest I take a good look at him. He appears to be in good health. If anything he seems nervous. "You know you don't have to bribe me, right? I'm your wife. We can have serious, adult conversations without compensation."

"Just let me take you on a date." He says, sounding annoyed. I let it slide. "I guess we could talk on the way. It might be easier this way."

"You're starting to make me worry." I say and he brings my hand to his lips briefly. "What's got you all worked up?"

"I've been thinking a lot lately…" He says and I patiently wait for him to continue. We've been married for about three months now, but he's still my same old Shikamaru. "And I know that your career means everything to you. So that's why I've been thinking…should we have kids soon? So that you can go back to active duty when they're old enough." I blink a few times.

"I…" I start and then my eyebrows furrow together. "Shikamaru? What's got you all worked up about that? Did someone say something to you?"

"Not exactly. I just…I don't know." He says and I squeeze his hand. "I love you and…I don't know, it'd be kind of…neat?"

"I don't think I'm ready for that kind of thing yet." I say gently. "And it's not like I plan to wait until I'm thirty to have children. We've got plenty of time…so I think we should worry about us for the time being. As neat as having a kid would be, I have a responsibility to my genin."

"You're right." He says with a nod. "Sorry…I just…" His cheeks are a little red, which has me laughing. "I had a dream the other night. I was walking home from work with our son and you were super pregnant, making dinner…"

"So the return of the domestic dreams has happened." I say and he shoots me a look. "I'm only teasing…that's a beautiful idea, Shikamaru and I can't wait until we are ready for that sort of thing." I smirk. "I don't think you're ready for me to get really fat quite yet."

"It's not you getting fat, it's you growing our child. That's hardly the same thing." He says and then he smirks.

"Get any perverted thoughts out of your head before I beat them out of you." I growl and he laughs.

"You're so cute when you threaten me." He says and I try to keep from laughing. "I like being married to you more than I imagined I would."

"I told you nothing was going to change pretty much except my name." I say with a roll of my eyes. "What did you think was going to happen? The grass would grow greener? The sky would open up and cherubs would fly down?"

"I was afraid you'd nag me." He says and I glare at him. "What? After what I grew up around?"

"Well if you assholes would fucking listen the first time, then she wouldn't have had to ask again." I say and he smiles. "You know better than to make me ask you something twice."

"Yes, darling." He says, kissing my hand again. "I'm glad that I can talk to you about stuff."

"Well that is what two people who love each other do…they tell each other things." I say and then I smile. "We'll get there…I've still got plenty of child-bearing years ahead of me."

* * *

"I have a problem." I say as I sit down across from Sakura and Ino. They look very concerned. "Well…not exactly a problem."

"Oh my god. You're pregnant." Ino says, her hands going over her mouth. Sakura gasps and stands up.

"No, I'm not pregnant. But that was a great guess as to what I want to talk about." I say and my future sister-in-law sits down again. "Shikamaru asked me if I wanted to have a kid soon."

"And what'd you say?" Sakura asks and I smile. "Because I'd love to have a cute little niece or nephew…"

"And you will…but not yet. I'm not ready for that sort of thing." I say, looking down and frowning at my stomach. "I'd be a horrible mother."

"That's not true." Ino says disapprovingly. "You'd be a great mother, Minako. You're so caring…even if you are an asshole most of the time. You're nurturing when it counts."

"I don't know…I'm just worried that Shikamaru is upset with me for not wanting kids yet." I say and Sakura gives me a look.

"Even if he is, so what? He's known all along how much your career means to you. And so if you're not ready yet, you're not ready. He has to deal with that." She says, sounding more like me than I do right now.

"I know." I say, smiling a little bit. "I just…I don't know. It is a nice idea…isn't it? Think about how fucking cute my kid will be."

"You're terrible." Ino says with a laugh. "Oh, how is Haruka doing with her training so far?"

"She hates my guts, so it's all going according to plan." I say around a yawn. "It's just the physical training is a lot on her. The Nara techniques are a lot more mental than physical, so it's taking her a while to get up to par with where I want them to be. It's disheartening, but she won't talk to me about it. So really it's all a matter of getting her to break."

"You talk about breaking your students so nonchalantly." Lady Tsunade says as she sits with us. We'd planned on meeting for lunch together.

"I could never do it as artfully as you, Milady." I say with a shit eating grin aimed at her. She glares at me. "Haruka asked me to teach her medical ninjutsu."

"Figures." She says with a nod. "How is everyone doing? It's been a while since we've been able to see each other."

"My mother is driving me insane with wedding plans." Sakura says with a groan. "And Sasuke is just so eager to please me that he's agreeing to everything she is saying."

"Do you realize how much power you have over him right now? How stupid you could make him look and he would do it without question? That is the sort of power that I only ever dreamed of." I say and Ino laughs. "I can talk to him if you want."

"Men are stupid." Lady Tsunade says wisely. "And Sasuke was an especially big asshole, I think you have every right to get whatever you want out of him."

"All I need is for him to be the best version of himself." Sakura says and my heart fills with love.

"What it must be like to feel that in love." Ino says with a sigh. I nudge her with my elbow. "What the hell is that?"

"You know exactly what that is." I say and then I look at Lady Tsunade. "Ino had a date with her soul mate."

"You three never stop amazing me." She says with a shake of her head, but she looks very fond.

"I can throw you under the bus too, Minako." Ino says and I raise an eyebrow at her. "They've been talkin' about having kids."

"Shikamaru mentioned it." I say with a roll of my eyes. "We agreed that we're not ready, end of story."

"I'm going to need alcohol if we're going to start talking about this sort of stuff." She says and I laugh. "So he brought it up? That's unusual."

"Especially for him." I agree. "I'm wondering if any of the Nara family elders have said anything to him…I swear if they did…" I glower at no one in particular. "Elders cause nothing but trouble."

"I'd drink to that." Lady Tsunade grumbles and then she laughs. "I'm glad to see that nothing has changed with you, Minako. Do you mind if I observe your squad's training tomorrow?"

"That's fine. I'd love some pointers on teaching medical ninjutsu as well. I feel horribly inadequate." I say and she smiles a little bit.

* * *

"Raiden, Yui, Haruka, I'd like to introduce you to the woman who helped shape me to be the kunoichi I am today. Lady Tsunade." I say and Yui's eyes sparkle. "She's going to be observing us today, so just go about your business as you normally would. So that being said, what do you guys want to work on today?"

"We were talking and we want to spar against you, Sensei." Haruka says, taking up a leadership role. "What better way to make sure we get stronger than getting our butts kicked by the woman who is supposed to nurture us into strong shinobi?"

"If you thought I was nurturing, that's your own fault." I say with a laugh. "Yui? Raiden? You up for it?"

"Yes, Sensei!" They exclaim together and I smile, tossing my katana to the side. I'll only use tanto.

"Good, begin when you're ready." I say as I fall into a ready stance. I want them to know that I'm taking them seriously. "This would be a good time to work on silent communication. Play around with making your own hand signals. If you impress me, I may get you out of doing some D-ranks." As I finish speaking, they're moving. Raiden immediately gets in close with his tanto, I block and elbow him in the shoulder. His tanto clatters to the ground. I make a mental note as I step into his shadow to throw Haruka off. They're staggered. Yui had been throwing things, but that stopped when Raiden got in close. "Ruka, you're expending too much chakra too early." I say and then three shadow clones of me pop up and begin attacking them as I fight with Raiden. I use the body flicker technique and regroup with my clones.

"Which one is the real one, Yui?" Raiden asks, they're standing across from all four of me.

"Left one? No. Not left. We know she's left handed and so she would use that against us. Next obvious would be right, so she's in the middle…unless…." Yui is looking between all of us. Normally I wouldn't wait this long. But then Haruka attacks me. "It was left!?"

"Don't let her get in your head!" Haruka says as she strikes, putting all of her weight behind the blow. She's putting very little chakra into it, which makes me proud because they're actually decent punches. She has been listening to me. "Rai!"

"On it!" He exclaims and then they're both taking me on. I let my shadow clones go, enjoying as Yui jumps into the fray.

"I almost feel like you guys mean it." I say with a slight chuckle. I let it go on for another moment before I end it. "Stand down, we're going to talk about what worked for you."

"Nothing." Yui says with a huff as she lays down on the ground. They're pretty tuckered out...I am very proud of them for giving it their all. They felt pressure because of Lady Tsunade. "You're too strong for us."

"I wasn't born strong." I say gently. "In my early days, there were shinobi who could sneeze on me and I'd fall over. But how did I get stronger?"

"Your rage fires fueled you to do better than anyone thought you could?" Raiden asks and I smile and nod. "But the question is…how did you utilize your rage fires to do that?"

"It helps that you three are already stubborn as hell, but there's no way that I can teach you to do that. All I can do is make you angry and then teach you how to keep your head when you get angry. Make sense?" I ask and they nod. "I'm still working out how to do that for you, but it's okay because we've got the luxury of time…which is why I wanted to propose something to the three of you."

"What is it, Sensei?" Yui asks as she sits up, looking up at me with an eagerness to learn that brings a smile to my face.

"I want the three of you to pick a completely new weapon that you want to learn to use. I will pick one too and we will learn together." I say and Haruka glares at me. "Oh you're so cute when you're grumpy, Haruka." I smile brightly at her. "Let me know your choices by the end of the week. Now I'm giving you a ten-minute break to hydrate and to come up with a plan of attack to surprise me."

"Yeah right." Haruka says as she gets up. I smile before I go over to Lady Tsunade. They go over to their packs and drink heavily from their canteens.

"Not bad." Lady Tsunade says, folding her arms across her chest. "What new weapon are you wanting to learn?"

"I've always thought that scythes were cool." I say with a shrug and she shakes her head. "I thought that maybe if I show them my learning process, it may help them figure out theirs."

"That's interesting…most sensei, especially the young ones, aren't so willing to show vulnerability like that." She says and I shake my head. "You've outdone yourself."

"How can I outdo myself with something I've never done before?" I ask and she offers a fair enough look.

"That's ridiculous! How the hell are we supposed to even come close to beating her!?" Raiden exclaims and Haruka gives him a steely look.

"You're playing right into her strategy. She uses her imposing presence to wig her opponent out before they even get started. We defeat her by keeping our heads and not giving up." She says and I keep my face neutral. "How do you think that someone that tiny got to be imposing?" I replace myself with a clone and get around behind them in the cover of trees. "Now if my assumption is correct we need to move right now." I spring on them and Yui throws a smoke bomb.

* * *

"I'm so sorry, Sensei!" Yui exclaims with wide, tear-filled eyes. I grin at her as Lady Tsunade checks over me.

"Are you kidding? I'm so incredibly proud of the three of you." I say and Lady Tsunade smiles a little as she shakes her head. She finishes healing my shoulder. "See? Good as new. I think that will be enough for today, though." I stand up and roll my shoulder. "Fantastic job today…remember to keep thinking about what weapon you want to learn and we'll pick up training the day after tomorrow."

"It was such an honor, Lady Tsunade." Yui says, bowing deeply to the woman. No doubt, like every little girl, she wanted to be a strong kunoichi like her. Lady Tsunade waves it off.

"I simply wanted to see how the next generation is shaping up to perform. It seems like I won't be disappointed." She says and I'm sure that she has no idea just how incredibly happy she just made Yui.

"See ya, Sensei." Raiden says and then he bows his head to Lady Tsunade. "Ma'am." He then drags the star-struck Yui away.

"Sensei, are we having supplemental lessons today?" Haruka asks and I shake my head. She expended too much chakra.

"No, but we'll meet at three tomorrow if you would like. I had Shikamaru bring over some books to your house that you can study tonight." I say and she nods.

"Three sounds great, thank you Sensei." She says and then she bows to Lady Tsunade before she leaves.

"You got cocky." Lady Tsunade says to me as we begin walking. I chuckle because it's true.

"I did…I thought that there was no way Raiden could get behind me without my noticing. He isn't the most quiet shinobi." I say and she nods. "How did I do?"

"It's exactly as I expected…you do alright for yourself as a sensei." She says and I smile. "I am proud of you, Minako." Tears prick at my eyes.

"Now you're doing that on purpose." I say as we start walking. "I have no idea what I'm doing, you know. And Asuma is entirely too annoying for me to ask for advice."

"You'll figure it out." She says with a chuckle. "I've got to get back to the hospital. I have a lecture to give."

"Look at you…passing on your knowledge to more people." I say, smiling at her. She gives me a look.

"If they're going to try and do it themselves, I may as well show them the right way to do it." She says and then she shakes her head. "I'll be in touch." She then uses the body flicker technique. I head towards home at a leisurely stroll.

"You know…sometimes I think that I'll get used to seeing you in varying states of healing…I won't immediately get that sick feeling in the pit of my stomach." Shikamaru says as he falls into step with me. I smile up at him. Apparently he has yet to get used to that. "What happened?"

"I got cocky and underestimated Raiden's ability to sneak up on me. When he did that, Yui got in a lucky shot to my shoulder." I explain and he hums. "I've got an errand to run."

"Let's see…it isn't Wednesday, so it isn't groceries…" He says and I smile up at him. "What is it?"

"My weapon's guy was making something special for me. You don't have to come with if you don't want to." I say and he shakes his head.

"You two conspire more than I like." He says dryly and I chuckle. "What sort of something special is it?"

"I'm learning a new weapon with the kids to show them my method for learning things…well definitely a toned down version, but still…" I say and he smiles.

"That's a great idea." He says and I stick my tongue out at him. "What's that look?" He takes my hand.

"If people start in on the 'I told you so' bullshit, I'm going to get really grumpy." I say and he squeezes my hand gently.

"Alright, I won't say it." He says and I shake my head at him. "What weapon did you choose?"

"It's what brought us together." I say wistfully. "Well, sort of. I want to learn how to effectively use a scythe. I figured it would be the most challenging for me."

"I love you, but you're crazy." He says and I shrug. "I just hope that Haruka doesn't try to murder you in your sleep."

"If I didn't think she could handle it all, I wouldn't pile it on like this." I say gently and he nods. "She's very bright…. even if she is a little asshole. Even more so than you were at that age."

"That's impressive." He says and I smack his arm. He laughs. "I'm really proud of you, Minako."

"Thank you…I'm trying really hard for them." I say and he squeezes my hand. "I want to be my very best so that I can help them go beyond their very best."

"And you will." He says gently and then he smirks at me. I glower at him. "What's that look?"

"I don't know, that smirk just really put me off. You're acting suspicious." I say and he chuckles, but doesn't say anything else. "Shikamaru Nara, what did you do?"


	14. I'll Be Damned

**Two chapters in a week (ish)!? It must be Christmas! Just kidding...the inspiration bug bit me and so I was able to get this done. Thank you all for reading and I hope that you enjoy this chapter! It was kind of fun to write. Especially towards the end! So you know that side story thing I was talking about a few chapters ago? Well I think I'm finally ready to post it! I've only got one tidbit that I like right now, but I'm confident that there should be more to come!**

"Haruka, darling!" I call sweetly and she walks out of her house with a look of dread. "Why the long face?"

"Because you're here to torture me." She says dryly and I chuckle, putting a hand over my heart.

"You know how your dear sensei promised that if you impressed her, she would get you a C-rank?" I ask and her expression changes immediately. "We leave tomorrow morning. We'll be gone for one night. I came to tell you and to advise you to only study for a couple of hours before bed. I want you on all cylinders tomorrow, understand?"

"Yes, sensei." She says with a nod. I smile. "Is there anything particular you want me to bring?"

"It's a simple escort mission. I have food covered." I say and she nods. "Have a good night."

"Bye, Sensei." She says with a wave and I hum as I head over to the main house. I knock on the door and after a while, Yoshino answers. She is a balloon.

"I was letting Haruka know about our mission and I thought I'd come and check on my favorite mother-in-law." I say and she smiles.

"Favorite mother-in-law? I'd better be your only mother-in-law." She says and I laugh. "Come inside, it's chilly out there. I was just making some tea." We move to the kitchen and I help her sit down as I finish preparing the tea. I bring over two cups and sit down across from her. "So, what sort of mission do you have?"

"I annoyed Kakashi into giving them a C-rank." I say with a proud smile. "They've been doing very well and so he saw no reason not to."

"I'm just worried with you leaving the village." She says and I nod, understandingly. "I don't know what I would do if anything happened to you."

"It's a simple escort mission…and I know how to handle myself. If all else fails, I'll go out with one hell of a fight." I say and she nods. "But you shouldn't worry about it. I don't see any problems coming up from this."

"I'll try not to." She says, idly rubbing her stomach. "She's kicking a lot today." I smile, excited because I love babies. I take a drink of my tea and sigh. "How have you been?"

"I haven't been sleeping very well." I admit a bit reluctantly. "Shikamaru's been having so many away missions…"

"And you worry about him." She says with a smile. "I understand completely. He's always been just as bad when you would go away."

"I'm only a little worried about him…the rest of it is kind of silly." I say and she gestures me on. "Well…when he's home and we're going to bed, I feel like I'm okay to let my guard down. I trust him more than anyone with my life." And it's the truth…I trust him more than both Sasuke and Itachi because they have both put my life in danger. Shikamaru has only ever tried to keep me from danger.

"When he's away, you're more than welcome to sleep here if it starts to become too much of a problem. It's hardly the same thing, and it isn't like you can't defend yourself…but you're family." She says gently.

"Thank you." I say with a small smile. "I'll have to keep that in mind. Is there anything you need help with? Things that have fallen that you've given up on?"

"No, I am a very clever woman." She says, lifting her chin stubbornly and I smile. "Thank you though."

"No problem, you know that you can always ask me for anything. I owe you a lot." I say and she gives me a look. "Deny it all you may, I stand by my statement."

"Yeah, yeah." She says, waving it off. I chuckle and finish off my tea. "I'd best let you get going so that you can prepare for your mission."

"I'll stop in before I leave in the morning if you want…make sure my sister-in-law is doing alright." I say and she smiles.

"I'd like that." She says as we both stand up and head towards the front door. She pats my cheek gently before I head out. Once I reach my apartment, I summon two sparrows.

"I want the two of you to keep an eye on Yoshino for me while I'm away. Take shifts or do it together, I trust that you can figure out what works best for you." I say and the bigger of the two, Fuyumi, salutes.

"Yes ma'am, you can leave it to us." She says and I smile. The smaller sparrow is her daughter.

"Excellent. Thank you so much. Oh…and try to be sneaky about it. She'll be grumpy if she finds out I have eyes on her." I say and they fly off. I head inside and smile as I see my husband. "I didn't think you'd be back yet."

"What can I say? I was anxious to come home to my wife." He says and I grin. "What was all that about?"

"Your mother is about six and a half months pregnant." I say slowly. "If something goes wrong while your dad is at the office I want to be one hundred percent certain that someone can be there within two minutes to help her." He stands up and comes over to hug me.

"Thank you." He says and I chuckle. "I know…but still. You're amazing." I look up at him and give him a look. "I don't tell you that enough."

"Eh, it's implied. Speaking of my abilities. I won't be home tomorrow night. I'm leading the team on a simple escort mission." I say and I can immediately sense how worried he is. "Don't worry, the village is only about a three hour walk north of here. Imagine how fast I could run it."

"Yeah, but you won't be running." He says and I squish his cheeks between my hands. "We've talked about this."

"You're not the boss of me." I say and he chuckles. "Everything will be okay. I promise. I'll be home to annoy you before you know it."

"I'm counting on that." He says, taking my hands and kissing them. "Are you excited?" I try to appear nonchalant. "I'll bet they're flipping out right now. Especially Yui."

"You should've seen the way Ruka's eyes lit up when I told her." I say and he chuckles. "I'm excited for them…this is a big step. And they deserve it." I sense Sasuke's chakra coming closer then. "Kakashi must've told him I was leaving." The knock on the door sounds and I go over and answer. "Yes?" I drawl.

"What the hell are you thinking? It is way too dangerous for you to leave." He says as he brushes past me and walks in.

"The village is three hours away. I cannot deprive my squad of missions that will help advance their careers because some creepy fuck wants to use me." I say, putting my hands on my hips.

"You annoyed Kakashi until he agreed." He says, glaring at me. "That means that they aren't ready."

"I realize and respect how quickly your first C-rank went South, but I can assure you that nothing bad will happen while on this mission. And if it does, then it will be because of the creepy asshole who is trying to force this girl to marry him. My squad is more than ready to take on this sort of thing." I say, keeping my tone even. "You may not realize this, but I have come up with techniques that can take out large quantities of enemies very quickly. Shikamaru experienced one…well sort of. He was writhing on the ground in pain at that point, but it was there."

"It was hard to miss…and then Kankuro recounted it in great detail for me." Shikamaru says and I shrug.

"Only some of them require me to release my reserve seal, so that should be comforting. I wouldn't be where I am if I weren't a capable shinobi. I need the both of you to trust me." I look between my brother and my husband. "I'm not an idiot."

"I know." Shikamaru says with a sigh. "And you haven't gotten lazy due to inactivity…I do trust you."

"It's not that I don't trust you." Sasuke says and I give him a look. "The last time you went out by yourself, you got ambushed."

"I won't be by myself. I'll have a Nara who practices shadow possession, a kickass swordsman, and an aspiring genjutsu master. Not to mention, you know, I can summon entire squadrons of sparrows who can and will destroy whatever I tell them to." I say and the two men sigh. "I exasperate you that badly? You know I only summon one to begin and the rest come at their command? I'm a medic for crying out loud. I know how to allocate my chakra." Then there's a knock on the door. I go over and open it. "Raiden…what's wrong?" I ask as I open it further to allow him inside. His eyes widen when he sees the other two. "It's okay."

"I just…I need some advice. About the mission." He says after a moment and I nod. He starts pacing, but I don't stop him. "I can come back later if now is a bad time."

"Raiden, you have three experienced shinobi before you willing to do their best to guide you." I say gently. "This is my brother, Sasuke. Sasuke, this is the one I've been teaching how to be a better swordsman."

"I hope she's a lot nicer to you than she was to me." Sasuke says and I laugh. "We've…been through some messed up things. So we won't judge you."

"So your first C-rank, what sort of guidance do you want?" I ask and he looks up at me…but only barely.

"I'm kind of freaking out, Sensei." He says and I smile, understandingly. "I mean I know that the chances of things going bad aren't likely but…what if I can't…what if I freeze up?"

"Then I'll be right there by your side to remind you who you are and what you're there to do." I respond immediately. "I am your teacher, yes, but I'm also your comrade, Raiden."

"The most important thing is responding to the situation." Sasuke says and I nod. "Make sure that you're aware of your surroundings, but keep your cool."

"Nothing is more disconcerting than an adversary who is entirely unimpressed." I agree with a nod. "Though, broody is the Uchiha way. We're pretty good at that."

"You? Broody?" Raiden asks and I chuckle. "I can't imagine it…if anything you seem like you're more goofy."

"That's because I love you guys." I say and he looks a bit confused. "I'd do anything to make sure you succeed. Even if it means baring my soul. That's why I'm always brutally honest with you three."

"Then…will you tell me how you got over being afraid?" He asks and I nod before I lead him over to the living area. He sits down.

"You're going to be severely disappointed with my answer." I say and he regards me skeptically. "I've never gotten over being afraid. I've faced down death with a cocky smirk on my face, but I've never once not been afraid. But I can teach you how to get through a big battle while nearly shitting your pants." He laughs a little. "You've got to find something to fight for. More than just the village…because if you weren't going to fight for the village then you wouldn't have gone through the training to become a shinobi. This thing…you have to be willing to die for it. I know that's really intense and you're still young, but that's how you get through fear. You remember what's more important than that fear."

"And what is that for you?" He asks and I gesture grandly to Sasuke and Shikamaru. "I should've guessed…"

"Well, it's not just those two. You vaguely know what happened when I was a little girl and so you can appreciate how much family means to me…I unintentionally adopted some family…stupidly fell in love and so…I fight to protect the people I love. That list has gotten a lot longer over the years…and each time I've faced adversity…even though I didn't let them know it, they're what made me strong. Sometimes I have a hard time admitting that."

"I'd do anything to make sure that Yui and Haruka come home." Raiden says, fierce determination filling his expression. "I know that I haven't been with them nearly as long as you've been with Shikamaru or of course Sasuke, but they're still important to me."

"You'll be alright, kid." Shikamaru says and I smile. "Minako has a way of helping people keep their heads."

"Haruka hasn't gone crazy yet…so I hope you're right." He says and Shikamaru actually laughs at that. He looks more confident. "Sensei…can I ask you another question?" I nod. "I heard a rumor that you were vehemently against taking us on as students." My smile falls into my neutral face.

"I won't lie. I was against it." I say and the sparkle leaves his eye. "But it's not for the reason that you think. Keeping on with my theme of honesty, I was afraid that I wasn't good enough to be your teacher. Hell, I'm still afraid that I'm not good enough."

"What? Sensei, that's crazy." He says, standing up. "You've taught us all so much so far! I'm almost on par with my brother with his sword work!"

"Yeah, yeah." I say, waving it off. "I know that I'm doing an alright enough job, and we'll leave it at that for now."

"Okay…thank you for talking to me." He says and I wave away the thanks. "Seriously Sensei…I feel a lot better."

"I wasn't just talking out my ass when I said my door was always open to you three." I say as I stand and ruffle his hair. "As long as you do your best, you'll be just fine."

"I will." He says with a nod as he walks towards the door. "I'll see you in the morning. It was nice seeing you again Shikamaru…and nice meeting you Sasuke."

"Good luck tomorrow." Sasuke says and I smile at my brother. Raiden leaves. "What exactly are you worried about?"

"You can leave." I say, pointing towards the door. He smiles at me. "Go help your fiancée plan your wedding."

"Ah shit, you're right." He says before he dashes out. I shake my head before I go over and hug Shikamaru.

"So I have a question for you." He says and I pull back to look up at him. "Will you go out with me?"

"Shikamaru…I hate to break this to you, but we're already married." I say and he glowers at me. "Oh you mean like a date. Okay, yeah." I smirk and head towards the bedroom to get changed. "Sometimes I wonder if you're still glad you married me."

"I'll always be glad that I married you. I wouldn't want anyone else to have the right to annoy me for the rest of my life." He says and I laugh.

"Damn straight." I say and then I poke my head out. "Are you going to tell me about the thing you wouldn't tell me about the other day?"

"I might…but I also might not. You'll just have to see." He says and I glower at him. "You're so cute when you're grumpy."

* * *

"Remember, be respectful to our clients. They might not believe that you guys are capable of keeping them safe. I'll do my best to reassure them, but keep your heads about you." I say as I stop walking and turn to my students. "It might partially be my fault. Sorry my brother stole all the tall genes."

"We forgive you, Sensei." Yui says solemnly and I smile before I lead the way into the village and to the house where they are currently residing. I knock on the door and a middle-aged man answers.

"Hello, sir, are you by chance Takuya Nishimura?" I ask, bowing respectfully to him. He smiles broadly.

"Why yes I am! And you must be the shinobi from the Hidden Leaf, please come in!" He exclaims, stepping back. The four of us file in and follow him to a sitting room. "I guess now would be a good time to give you a little more background on why we have hired your services."

"While not necessary, it would be much appreciated. But first, I think introductions would be a good idea. If I may introduce my team. Haruka Nara, Raiden Nakashima, and Yui Imada. And I am Minako Nara. Haruka and I are related by marriage, but I can assure you that our relation will have no impact on our dedication to your family's safety."

"I trust your word." Takuya says with a nod, then two more women enter the room with tea. "I would like to introduce my wife Mayumi and my daughter Hanako. My darlings, these are the shinobi who are escorting us to the Hidden Leaf. Minako, who is the sensei to Haruka, Raiden, and Yui."

"It's a pleasure to meet you." Mayumi says as she serves the tea with the help of her daughter. "We greatly appreciate you taking our contract."

"Not at all, ma'am." I say with a smile. "Now…if I may inquire what exactly the terms of this arrangement are."

"Right." Takuya says as he takes his own tea. "Hanako was formerly arranged to marry the son of a shop owner in the southern reaches of the Land of Fire…but she has fallen in love with a shinobi from your village. You may be familiar with him…Rock Lee." I keep my composure. "After some convincing...I broke off the arrangement, but as you can imagine they were not pleased. So I fear that while we are traveling, they may have hired some thugs to try and kidnap my daughter. I've already gone ahead and set up residence in your village, all we need is the assurance of safe travel."

"You can leave it to us." Haruka says confidently. "We'll make sure that you make it to the village safely." I nod my agreement.

"This is their first mission outside of the village, but I promise that even if they are not up to the task I am more than capable of handling anything that comes our way." I say and then Hanako squints at me.

"Minako Uchiha." She says slowly and I purse my lips. Is this going to be awkward? "Lee respects you a lot…you must have been married fairly recently?"

"It's been a few months." I agree with a nod. "Lee is a commendable shinobi…one of the best that we have."

"I am glad to hear more praise of him." Takuya says with a smile. "But as was agreed we will move out in the morning…in the meantime, please make yourselves at home."

"Thank you." I say, bowing my head in respect. I take a sip of my tea and smile. "Raiden and Yui, once you've finished your tea, go and set up a perimeter. Haruka, you'll stick with me for now." They nod and we lapse into silence. Haruka is staring at me. The Nishimura family goes back to preparing for their journey tomorrow. "Yes, Haruka?" I ask once Yui and Raiden go to complete their task.

"Why am I staying by you?" She asks, sounding very skeptical. She must be thinking that I don't trust her.

"Our styles of combat complement each other well as does theirs. I trust you, Haruka." I say and she looks down at her hands.

* * *

"Sensei, everything looks find around our perimeter. Whenever they're all set, I think we're good to go." Yui says as she lands in front of me.

"Alright, I'll let them know. Good work." I say, turning and heading inside. "Mr. Nishimura, whenever you are ready, we are good to move out."

"Then let's get a move on." He says brightly. I lead the way out and he brings up the rear, locking the door behind him. With one last look at the house, we begin heading towards Konoha.

"So what are you looking forward to the most about the Hidden Leaf?" Yui asks Hanako as she looks up at her.

"Oh…well I think it will be interesting to live around so many shinobi. Any one that I've met has always been quite a character." She says and I smile.

"There's a really good café on Flower Street. They actually have a meal named after Sensei. I got it once out of curiosity." Raiden says and I can't help but laugh.

"Hey, when you burn as many calories as I do in any given day, you would eat that much too." I say with a shrug. "The Minako is enough food to feed a family of four."

"That much food….and your waist is still that tiny?" Mayumi asks in disbelief. "My goodness."

"My twin brother is a lot worse than I am." I say in my defense. "I always find a way to make it his fault."

"Shikamaru says that you're really good at that." Haruka says and I chuckle. "He also says that you're a great cook. As good as Aunt Yoshino."

"He might be exaggerating just a little bit." I say with a fond smile. My smile falls as I detect foreign chakra. "Haruka, fall back with me. Yui and Raiden, take the front. Move in a little tighter, please." Our small pack tightens and I activate my Sharingan, scanning the trees for signs of movement. "It might be nothing, so please try to remain calm."

"We're following your lead." Takuya says in a tight voice. "I don't think that he would hire other shinobi…" I sense them just as I'm seeing Haruka's shadow snake across the ground. She's spotted them.

"Shadow possession complete." She says, locking her hand in the rat seal. Her cocky smirk turns slightly panicked.

"Nobody mention what I'm about to do." I say as I form the seals. My shadow combines with hers and the struggling stops. "Haruka, stay calm. We're going to approach. When I say release, let them go."

"Yes, Sensei." She says, her voice unwavering. They are far enough away that I'm not worried about them getting too close to the Nishimura's. We're a good distance away now…well as good as we're going to get.

"Release!" I say and then I use the Sharingan to knock one of them out. I move too quickly for the other and subdue him. "Did someone hire you to attack us?"

"What the hell are you talking about?" He snarls, trying to break out of my hold. I twist his arm. There's a slight pop. "Alright, alright. I'll talk." Haruka has a kunai drawn, ready to back me up. "You're a scared little girl, aren't you?"

"You don't need to talk to her." I say, twisting again. "I'm the only person you're talking to right now. And so you know, I have ways of extracting information from you whether you give it willingly or not, so save yourself some grief. Were you hired to attack this family? And are there others?"

"Yeah, we were and no." He says and then he laughs. "And guess what? We've got nothing to lose." He twists out of my hold and I draw my tanto. He lunges for Haruka and I take the knife the shoulder. I bring my tanto down on him. He's dead before he hits the ground. Haruka stares, wide-eyed.

"Haruka, go and make sure that the Nishimura family is secure." I order in a firm voice and she nods deftly before she leaves. I quickly end the second man's life and seal their bodies in scrolls before I take the knife out of my shoulder. I control the bleeding with chakra as I head over. "Haruka, heal this for me?"

"Yes, sensei." She says mechanically. I sit on my knees in front of her. She takes out her small medical kit before she cleans the wound.

"No, mystical hands technique." I say and she looks surprised. "You're more than capable."

"Okay." She says and then she forms the hand seals and her hands glow green as she heals the injury.

"Very good." I say as I stand up. I tuck the knife into my pouch. "Two options, take a break or keep moving. It is entirely up to you." I say to Takuya.

"I think….we'd like to take a break." Takuya says and I nod. After that…I think my students need a break too.

"We'll go a little further up the road. There's a good resting spot." I say and he nods deftly. We continue up the road and come to the place with benches. "You all did very well, today. Your defensive positions are flawless. Haruka, great job with your mystical hands technique." Haruka is sitting on the ground staring at her hands. "Raiden, excellent sensory skills. And Yui, your attention to detail is wonderful."

"I knew that we made the right choice." Mayumi says with a smile. "I'll be the first to admit that I was terrified, but with the level heads that you four expressed…I was confident that you were going to keep my family safe. Thank you."

"It is our duty to ensure your safety and Leaf shinobi will always do whatever it takes to accomplish our missions." Raiden says and I smile. "So it was our honor, ma'am." Yui blushes.

"Not to mention this has been one hell of a first mission!" She exclaims then. "I'm so happy that we were tasked with protecting you."

"Wait…this was your first mission?" Hanako asks, her eyes wide. "I have to say that I am very impressed."

"The success of a mission is based on how well you use the talents of each shinobi. These three work well together and I just have the honor of leading them." I say and Yui looks at me, eyes shining. "We'll move out whenever you're ready."

"We just need a few more minutes. The sooner we arrive, the better." Takuya says and I nod. And it's true…in just a few minutes we're moving again.

"Sensei…" Haruka says, glancing up at me. "Why do you not want me to tell anyone about your shadow possession jutsu?"

"Because I copied it on accident and that's the first time I've ever used it." I say and she hums. "And I think Shikamaru would be mad if he knew. I can't use it nearly as well as you guys…"

"Are you kidding? They weren't budging." She says and I shake my head. "It gets stronger with more people, but the user has to be pretty strong too."

"Haruka, you don't understand. My sensei made sure I could bench press my team mates by the time I was fourteen….and then I trained under Lady Tsunade. I could crush a grown man's skull in my hand." I say and she smiles a little. "I promise that is the first time I've ever used the technique and the only time I intend to."

"I won't tell anyone." She says and I smile. "Thank you for protecting me…I kind of…." I shake my head.

"Don't worry about it." I say and then the gates come into view. "Nishimura family, I welcome you to the Village Hidden in the Leaves." Mayumi cheers and Hanako smiles. We make it to the gates and we leave them with customs…they'll be fine from there. "Can someone remind me what you're supposed to do when we return from a mission like this? I forget." I say and Haruka rolls her eyes.

"Honestly, Sensei. It's like I have to do all of the work." She says and then we head to the mission's desk. We fill out our reports, turn them in, and receive our pay. I also turn over the bodies of the attackers before we leave. Out front they stand in front of me.

"Fantastic work today everyone, thanks to you three we were able to get the Nishimura family to the village safely. You can have tomorrow off to process what happened and think of anything you would like to improve upon. Also if you would like more in depth feedback on your behaviors. We'll pick up the day after tomorrow and address whatever needs to be addressed. I'm proud of you all." I say and Yui throws her arms around Raiden and Haruka. "You're dismissed."

"See ya, Sensei!" They call and they're gone. I smile and then I feel someone using me as an arm rest and my smile turns into a scowl.

"Well, how'd it go?" Asuma asks and I look up at him. "It looks like it went well, but you never know with an Uchiha."

"That's Nara, now, and it was a basic escort mission….we did encounter two hostiles but they were neutralized and I'm the only one who sustained an injury, but Haruka healed it." I say, putting my hands on my hips. "I'm pretty damn proud."

"They look proud too. I have to say, I had some concerns but you did a good job." He says and I smile. "I'd get changed before Shikamaru sees that and has a pony."

"Don't remind me." I say with a roll of my eyes. "You guys are still coming over for dinner tomorrow, right?"

"Wouldn't miss it. Mirai is excited to visit." He says and I smile up at him. "Great job, kid."

"Thanks. I'll see you." I say and then I take off. Shikamaru isn't there when I enter the apartment, so I drop my pack on the couch and go straight to the shower. When I finish up, I wrap a towel around my body and a towel around my hair. I hear the door open then. Shikamaru and Choji. "Babe, can you bring me some clothes?" I ask, opening the door slightly.

"Sorry, didn't realize you were here." He says as he walks past straight into our room. He presses the clothes into my waiting hand and I close the door before I dry off and get dressed. Grr, a tank top. Oh well. I pat my hair dry before I pitch my towels into the hamper. I toss my ruined shirt into the trashcan and put the rest of my clothes in the hamper before I brush my hair and then pile it into a bun on top of my head before I walk out. "You're still suppressing your chakra signature."

"Sorry about that." I say with a smile. "We got back about half an hour ago, I'm so insanely proud of them….but a little worried about Haruka. I had to kill a guy and she was right there."

"It's never dull with you, is it?" Choji asks and I laugh as I give him a hug. "Your shoulder looks a little irritated."

"It is a bit." I agree as I go to the fridge. "You guys hungry?" I start making lunch anyway.

"What happened?" Shikamaru asks, walking over to try and stop me. I keep him at bay with my foot.

"The guy lunged for Haruka and I got stabbed in the shoulder. She's fine and I'm fine, the guy was dead before he hit the ground….and she's the one who healed me." I say and he smiles. "She's still learning, but she did really well. They all did really well. And you guys will never guess what I learned today…." I look at them. "Lee has a lady. Non-shinobi. Her name's Hanako, a really nice girl. Her family moved here."

"Well I'll be damned…." Shikamaru says and then he kisses the top of my head. "Looks like I won't have to worry about him trying to break up our marriage."

"He wouldn't." I say with a roll of our eyes. "And besides, you're stuck with me now." He finds that funny. "Also, I fucking told you and Sasuke not to worry about anything."

"Asking Shikamaru not to worry about you? Are you feeling alright, Minako?" Choji asks and I chuckle. I go back to cooking.

"Oh, I ran into Asuma. They're still coming for dinner tomorrow, so can you go around and pick up the stray kunai and whatnot? I don't want Mirai to hurt herself." I say and Shikamaru shakes his head.

"Yes, dear…though I don't see why I should have to do it. They're all your weapons." He says, but he does it none the less.

"I like keeping weapons around the house because of the rabid fanboys. You'd think after we got married people would stop hitting on me." I say with a shake of my head. "I'm literally always armed because of it…not that I need to be."

"That's a kunoichi for you." Choji says and I nod my approval. I finish preparing lunch….simple chicken and rice and place it on plates before I serve them. "Thanks, Minako! It's always a treat to have your cooking."

"At least someone appreciates me." I say, tossing a look at Shikamaru. I pour the tea before I sit down. I don't stop thinking though…it doesn't help that we're all eating in silence. "I'm worried about Haruka…there's no way the others could've seen it, but when I killed that man…."

"We can go talk to Toshio in a bit if you want." Shikamaru says and I nod, frowning slightly. "Hey, look at me." I look at him. "You're the only one who got injured. I'd say that's a good first mission."

"I guess." I say with a wink. "I do wonder though…what would you do if someone tried convincing me to leave you?"

"Nothing they'd be able to prove." He says and I laugh. Choji just smiles between the two of us.

* * *

"Haruka…We need to talk about it." I say and she continues to ignore me, practicing throwing kunai…never mind the fact that her aim is near perfect. "Haruka, stop and look at me." She stops, arm poised to throw the kunai. After a moment she releases it and it sticks on its mark before she turns to look at me. "Good. Now tell me what you are thinking."

"I'm thinking that my Sensei is very annoying." She says and I smile. "I don't know what you want me to talk about. I've dealt with it."

"Ah, but you haven't. That's why I followed you home." I say and then I pat the spot on the bench beside me.

"I froze." She says as she sits beside me. "You were counting on me and I completely froze. I feel like such a failure….because of me, you were injured."

"But also because of you, I was healed." I say and she looks at me. "When I was fourteen years old I was nearly….attacked by a rogue shinobi from Iwagakure." I put emphasis on 'attacked' so that she understands my meaning. "I couldn't move until finally I was able regain control of my body. From the position I was in, I couldn't carve out his liver like I wanted to…but I was able to injure him and he ran away." She looks surprised. "Later…the next day, I was speaking with my brother, Itachi, and the rogue returned. I was paralyzed with fear. Shikamaru had actually slept in the same bed with me the night before because I was so afraid."

"Why are you telling me about this?" She asks, not sounding harsh like she has since we got here.

"Because, as your sensei it is my duty to let you know that it is perfectly acceptable to be afraid as long as you learn from it." I say and she purses her lips. "To help you work through your emotions, I need to know what you were afraid of."

"Okay…" She says and then she takes a deep breath. "He was a really big guy…even on the ground like he was. If he had gotten to me he most certainly would have killed me…I've never experienced anything like that before. Then you threw yourself in front of me and there was a lot of blood. You didn't hesitate though. You just killed him…Which that was a bit disconcerting as well because I'd never seen a dead body before. How do you just…casually do something like that?"

"Well that was hardly casual." I say with somewhat of a laugh. "But I understand what you mean…" I look to the sky. "I don't remember the first time I saw a dead body…at one point I thought it was when my family was killed…but then I remembered that Sasuke wouldn't let me look. I don't think I saw a dead body until I was your age, actually…but death was something that was familiar to me. I killed a guy when I was your age. It gets easier after the first time, especially if it happens when you're protecting someone you care about a great deal. You don't think about it…it's either you or them. In that moment the other day, your life was what mattered. I've never lost a man and I don't intend to."

"So….what you're saying is that you compartmentalize it by putting your mission objective and your comrades above the enemy?" She asks and I think on that for a moment.

"In a way, yes. There are times, however, when you have to decide if it is appropriate to eliminate the enemy. For example, the man who stabbed me. He had given all of the information that he was going to give and his partner wasn't going to be any more helpful. So they were a threat that could be eliminated. If he had been tighter lipped, I would have rendered him unconscious and brought him to the village to be interrogated." I look at her and smile. "At the end of the day, you've got to follow your instincts. Shikamaru didn't always do that…but he slowly learned to accept that sometimes the best strategy is no strategy."

"So it's something you pick up with time." She says and I hum my agreement. "So how should I deal with my feelings right now? In your professional opinion."

"In my professional opinion? Hmm…let's see. I think that if I were in your situation, I would allow myself to feel the emotions…and talk to someone that you trust about them. I'm not stupid, I know you don't trust me one hundred percent…so maybe you could talk to your team mates about it. Maybe even your dad. You have a lot of people who care about you and want to see you succeed, so allow yourself to use that support system." I say and she smiles a little.

"Alright….thank you, Sensei." She says and then her eyes move to my shoulder that had been injured. "How is your shoulder?"

"You did a great job." I say with a smile. "The most important thing right now is building up your chakra control. I am at one hundred percent chakra output, so it'll take quite a bit to impress me."

"Now you're just being an asshole." She says and I laugh. It's neither dainty nor lady-like.

"Hey, it's like you know me or something." I say and she laughs too. "You could also talk to Shikamaru, now that I think about it. He witnessed me 'casually killing' people when we were twelve. He's used to my insanity."

"Boy am I." My husband says, alerting us to his presence as he approaches. "What specifically are we referring to, though?" Haruka purses her lips again. He waits patiently. I stand up.

"Why don't I leave the two of you to talk?" I suggest and he walks over and sits down beside his cousin. "I'll see you at home." I kiss the top of his head before I start walking.

"How'd you manage to get someone like her to fall for your lazy ass?" Haruka asks once she thinks I'm far enough away and I stifle my laughter.

"Persistence and a lot of luck." He says fondly and I smile…my heart warm. "Now, what's going on?"

* * *

"I swear, Asuma. I'm not above sneaking something into your food. You wouldn't even notice if you were looking at it." I threaten as the man continues to annoy me. Kurenai chuckles.

"I'd listen to her. Sasuke has told me some horror stories." Shikamaru says from the floor where he's sitting, playing with Mirai.

"All I said was that it was adorable how proud you looked yesterday when you were watching your kids run off." He says and I glower at him, my eye twitching.

"I don't even know how this happened…one day you were just my…whatever he was at that time…his sensei and then somehow I'm now the little sister you always wanted?" I ask, throwing my hands up in the air.

"You became a jonin and all of a sudden you dropped all pretenses of respect and I realized that you were indeed." He says and I glare at him.

"I do respect you, but I can call you an idiot without feeling conflicted about it as a jonin." I say and Shikamaru shakes his head.

"Says the woman who called Lady Tsunade an idiot to her face." Kurenai says and I snicker.

"I'm very fortunate that she didn't take my head off." I say as I go back to cooking. "We had lunch together not too long ago and she told me that she needed alcohol to talk to any of her dear students anymore. Well that's because…" I stop myself and pretend to be busied with cooking.

"That's because…?" Asuma inquires and I shoot him a dirty look. "What? I was just trying to jog your memory."

"It's not important." I say, waving it off. "Have you been getting more sleep, Kurenai?" I change the subject artfully.

"A bit more." She agrees and then she hums. "Shikamaru…you and Asuma should take Mirai to pick out some flowers for Minako. In honor of her team's first C-rank."

"Okay." Asuma says without question and I smirk, but don't say anything. Shikamaru comes over.

"Are you okay?" He asks quietly. Kurenai is helping Asuma get Mirai ready. I smile as I cup his cheek.

"Nothing is wrong." I say, my heart melting as he unconsciously leans his face more against my hand. He turns his head to kiss my wrist.

"Okay, we can talk about it later if you want. I'm here for you." He reminds me and I smile. Mirai runs over and hugs my legs.

"You'll have to ask Shikamaru to buy you a surprise as well." I whisper in a conspiratory manner and her eyes shine.

"Okay!" She exclaims and then she squeals with laughter as he picks her up and sets her on his shoulders. The three of them leave and Kurenai comes over.

"So what's the deal?" She asks, leaning against the cabinet and looking at me. "What has you wigging out?"

"Well…Shikamaru asked me if I wanted to have a child." I say and her eyebrows shoot up. "I know…I was very surprised too."

"And do you?" She asks and I shake my head. "And that's a good enough answer." Her tone is firm. "But can I ask why?"

"Well…I just don't think that we're ready for that sort of thing. I mean…we haven't even been married that long." I say with a shake of my head. "And…I feel like I would be a horrible mother."

"That's not true at all." She says and I shrug. "You're wonderful with Mirai. But, that doesn't mean that you have to jump into anything you don't feel ready for. When the time is right, you'll know."

"I know." I say softly. "I just…I know that elders can be dick bags sometimes and I don't want them putting unfair pressure on him. I feel like going and telling them to keep their pants on, they'll get an heir at some point."

"I'm sure Shikaku would think that was hilarious." She says and I can't help but laugh a little. "Our door is always open to you…I'm always willing to offer you advice where I can."

"Thank you." I say with a smile. "But I'm still not above putting a laxative in your husband's meal."

"Oh, he probably deserves it." She says and I laugh so hard I snort. "You really do mean a lot to us, Minako."

"Oh hush." I say, waving it off. "I love you guys too…The baby definitely makes him more tolerable. He's a great father."

"He really is." She says, a fond smile finding it's place on her lips. "I couldn't have asked for anything more."

"We got lucky." I say with a nod. "I'm not sure how lucky Shikamaru was with me, I'm annoying as hell…but…" I sigh. "I didn't know that it was possible to love someone as much as I love him. I sound like a little girl…but even just the thought of him makes my heart so happy sometimes."

"True love is when they make your heart feel young." She says wisely and then she gives me a look. "But you're right, it's adorable how much like a little girl you sounded just then."

"Not you too!" I exclaim, exasperated. "I don't know what I'm going to do…you two will drive me nuts." She laughs.


	15. Things Change

**Hello everyone! I'm so sorry for my absence, I lost my writing mojo for a while and this is what it gave me back. I really hope to get back into the swing of things since I have a direction again. I know it's short, but I hope that you like it! Some more housekeeping items! There is now a side story called Little Lights! It's on my profile, so check it out if you want! Thank you to everyone who has stuck with me for this journey, I'm trying to keep it together!**

"Well, well, well! If it isn't our old sensei!" Yui exclaims as I drop down in front of them. "We figured that you were cool enough for us to request as the leader of our mission…since the village thought we needed a jonin." She gives a nonchalant shrug.

"Well I'm happy that you thought of me." I say with a fond laugh. They've all been chunin for about a month. I was their sensei for a year. "Let's get a move on, shall we?"

"Sounds good." Haruka agrees with a nod. Raiden gives a yawn and I chuckle. He's never been good at rising early. "So have you been busy lately, Sensei?"

"Not too bad. Shikamaru was glad to be rid of me for the day." I say with a chuckle. It's not the whole truth, but it's close enough. I was in a bad mood because he was in a bad mood because he was worried.

"I can't imagine that." She says dubiously. "He and our dads were talking the other day and it seems like he still loves you a lot."

"You can love someone and still be sick of them. That's an important lesson to learn. I love Shikamaru with all my heart, but sometimes I don't want to see his dumb face." I say wisely. "I tell him too…and then he usually throws the dish towel at my head. Enough about me though, what's new with you kids?"

"We've been working really hard lately. Between helping out with lessons at the Academy and taking missions…" Raiden says and Yui nods. "I really like helping with target practice.

"I've been giving kunoichi lessons!" Yui exclaims brightly. "We did flower arrangement last week, Haruka helped."

"What!? Haruka openly did something feminine!?" I exclaim and the girl shoots a glare at me. "Just kidding, Ruka. I've missed you guys."

"We've missed you too, Sensei." Yui says and then she shakes her head. "Do I still call you sensei?"

"You've never had to call me sensei." I say with a laugh. "I've told you guys that a thousand times."

"Yeah, but you ARE our sensei." Yui says with a roll of her eyes. "I think I'll always call you sensei…because even though we've gotten strong, you're still helping us grow stronger. Especially Haruka."

"When I pick back up on my studies, sure." She says with a shrug. We're approaching our destination…the bunker that holds the item we're supposed to obtain for the village.

"Bring it in." I say as I stop and my team doubles back and huddles with me. "Yui, I want you to go left. Rai, you'll go right. Meet at the back." I summon a sparrow. "You'll be back up. She'll let you know what's up, okay?"

"Sounds good." Raiden agrees with a nod. "Same call as usual if there's trouble on the way to our meet up point?"

"You know the drill." I say with a nod. I smile as I hold out my hand. Yui immediately puts her hand over mine and the other two join in. "Our families won't even have time to miss us." We break and move to our positions. Haruka grabs the item and seals it away when we hear a scream…Yui's scream. We arrive to her at the same time as Raiden and Haruka lets out a startled cry as she sees her friend…laying on the ground with a sword through her stomach. She's gasping for breath. I hear a sinister laugh. "Haruka. See what you can do for her." I take up a defensive stance in front of my kids. I drop my medical pouch into Raiden's hands. "Do exactly as she says. Haruka is in charge." A man steps into view and I immediately know that it is Orochimaru.

"Thank you for the tasty treat you gave my serpent." He says in that sickening voice. The one I've heard in my nightmares. "You can quit trying to save the girl, she won't survive….unless."

"Unless I come with you." I say darkly. I haven't been this angry in a long time. "Shouldn't you have died by this point?"

"Isn't that what you've been hoping for?" He says and the tone almost seems seductive. It makes me sick. "Go ahead and see for yourself, I won't attack you." I do not turn my back to him as I stoop to examine Yui. There's nothing that I can do.

"Sensei…" Yui's voice is a hoarse whisper. "I'd rather die than let you go with him. Please don't do it."

"I can't do that." I say, my tone harsh in my natural desire to cover my emotions. Haruka puts her hand over mine.

"Sensei…you've always protected us. There's nothing that we can do for her…Let her have this decision." She says and I look at the girl. She's growing more pale by the moment. "Yui, this is what you want?"

"I'd make the decision for you myself if I could feel my hands." She says and I push her hair off of her forehead. "Kick his ass, Sensei. Please."

"I love you." I say and then I pull a scroll that is familiar to them from my pouch and stand up. Orochimaru is a good few steps away, looking smug. I release my scythe from the scroll and attack him.

"Oh! Brute strength to match! How wonderful!" He exclaims as he avoids my blows. "I'm afraid I'm going to leave you for now my dear! But I'll be back!" I bring the scythe around as he jumps and I graze the side of his leg. He cackles as he goes. Every instinct is telling me to chase him down…to make him pay…but I know that I can't beat him alone. I seal the scythe and walk over to my students. Raiden is holding Yui's hand….she's gone. I stoop down and pick her up, cradling her body against me very carefully.

"Let's go." I say and they quietly stand and we leave. We make it back in record time. We enter through one of the side gates. The chunin on guard duty's expression turns solemn as he takes in our appearance. "This is an S-rank matter."

"You need to get to the Hokage then…We'll take care of her, I promise." He says and I nod. I place Yui on the stretcher that had been brought and brush her hair back again.

"Let's go." I say and my two students follow behind me as we head to the Hokage tower. We're immediately taken to Kakashi in his office and he regards us neutrally. "Orochimaru killed Yui to try and coerce me into going with him."

"Where were you, Raiden." Haruka demands in a cold voice. I turn to her and give her a look. "They were supposed to be together."

"I was investigating a noise." Raiden says in a desolate voice. "We should have gone together…"

"Haruka, Raiden. You're dismissed for the time being." Kakashi says evenly. "Return home and I'll send for you at a later time." Haruka nods before she takes out the scroll with the item in it and gives it to me. She storms off and Raiden follows behind, definitely slower. "What happened?"

"Since the place was supposed to be empty, Haruka and I were assessing the situation. We were remaining in contact via my summons. Raiden and Yui were around back for back up. Since there was no one inside, Haruka and I collected the item and then we heard her scream." I relay mechanically. "We arrived at the same time as Raiden and she was on the ground…already near dead. He said he would save her if I went with him, but she told me she would rather die than see that happen. I briefly fought him, but he ran off. I'm assuming he has plans for me."

"So he finally rears his head." Kakashi says thoughtfully. "You're dismissed. I'll summon you if I need anything else."

"Sir." I say with a bow of my head before I set the scroll on his desk and leave the office. I can't face anyone right now. Well…there's someone I need to talk to. I go to the Akimichi residence and knock on the door. Choji answers. "Is there a spare rock in the mountain range behind your house that I can demolish with no questions asked for the time being?"

"Sure." Choji says with a nod. He's very obviously concerned, but he's respecting my wishes…I mean they train in the mountains with their expansion jutsu…crushing rocks all the time. "Should I get Shikamaru?"

"I don't want to be a bother. I'll just send a sparrow." I say and he nods and holds out his arms for a hug. I shake my head. "I can't right now."

"That's okay. Follow me." He says and we head through his house and into the backyard. He only leads me to the path leading into the mountains. "Don't hesitate to let me know if you need anything."

"Thank you, Choji." I say with a terse smile before I head up the path. Once I'm sufficiently in the mountains….and I find a good rock, I protect my hands with chakra and let loose. I try to get my anger out. I scream and kick and punch…but nothing is working. I fall to my knees and pound both fists on the ground and that's when I see the tears on my legs. I'm crying now.

"Mina!" Someone shouts and then arms go around me. They hold me until I stop crying…well enough. It's….it's Sasuke. He's just holding me, stroking my hair, rocking with me. "Can you tell me what's wrong?"

"Orochimaru killed Yui." I say in a pitiful voice. "That bright young girl is dead because of me. I couldn't save her. She wouldn't let me do what I needed to do to save her."

"What did you need to do to save her?" He asks and I look away. "He'd save her if you went with whoever came to get you?"

"It was Orochimaru himself." I say and he tenses. "He killed Yui. He could have killed us all but he wanted to torture me."

"I'm sorry." He says and I let out a humorless laugh. "There's this pain in my chest and I can only imagine how you're feeling right now. I'm so sorry…I wish I could make you feel better."

"It's really melodramatic…and after all the shit we've been through, but I can't imagine how I could feel better." I say and he holds me tighter. "How did you find me?"

"Choji was pretty concerned so he set out to find Shikamaru, but he found me first." He explains and I look down at my hands. They're bruised and a little bloody. "He went back out for Shikamaru. He figured you weren't going to call for him like you said you would."

"I didn't want anyone to see me like this." I say and Sasuke sits back and looks over me. "What?"

"I've never seen you like this before." He says and I shrug, looking down at my hands. "You've always been the one who held it together."

"I did it for you." I say softly. "You were pretty broken…so I was determined to be strong for the two of us so that you could be strong. It worked." I shrug. My emotional wall is going back up which is good. "Shikamaru is going to freak out."

"Just try to be patient with him." My brother says as he tucks my hair behind my ear. "We just love you so much."

"Can you go meet them and tell him so that I don't have to say it again?" I ask and he regards me for a moment before he nods. "You'd better get a move on…I sense him getting closer."

"I'm on it." He says and then he takes off. I take out my canteen and clean off my hands…they're still bruised to shit, but the blood isn't as bad. When I hear Shikamaru's footfalls, I stand up. He calmly walks up to me before he pulls me into his arms.

"I'm sorry." He says and I nod. "And I'm here for you. Whatever you need, I will give it to you."

"What I need is something that no one has been able to give to me, and it's okay." I say softly. "If Tsunade herself couldn't kill Orochimaru…It's going to take a lot, but we're going to figure it out. I'm not hiding anymore. I'm not going out soon because I am not in a sound mindset and I will only do more harm, but he will die."

"He will." Shikamaru agrees and then he lets out a breath. "I was scared to death. I was at the compound talking with Dad and Uncle Toshio and Haruka came up…shaking and covered in blood. Reminded me of you aside from the shaking."

"I'll need to talk to her." I say softly. "She probably blames herself for Yui." She is a lot like me.

"It's not your fault…if there was nothing that you of all people could do…" He says and that breaks my wall a bit. Tears fill my eyes.

"It is my fault. If they hadn't requested me as their jonin, then Yui would still be alive." I say in a soft voice. "I'm…going to need time."

"We'll talk about it more in depth later…when you can think a little clearer." He says and then he takes my hands and kisses my knuckles. "I love you. Let's go home?"

"I…I don't know." I say, frowning…I feel confused now. "I just…I don't know." I rest my head against his chest.

* * *

Shikamaru holds my hand as we walk to where I had asked Haruka and Raiden to meet me after the funeral. I hate being dressed in black like this…it feels wrong. Especially since Yui was so full of color and light. As they come into view I steel myself. I let go of Shikamaru's hand and go the rest of the way by myself. I stop a little in front of them before I get down on my knees and bow.

"I have failed as your teacher and as someone who swore to protect you. I offer my deepest and most sincere apologies." I say and I see as Haruka takes a step back.

"You idiot." She says harshly. "You didn't fail us. You did everything you could." Her eyes fill with tears.

"Sensei…." Raiden says and I sit up. They both hug me. I put my arms around them and they hold onto me. They're both sobbing and tears stream endlessly down my face.

"Death isn't something that you ever get over. It's something that becomes easier to face with time…I know that Yui would want us all to keep on fighting…giving it our best in her honor." I say gently. "My door is always open to you. Whether it be life related or ninja related."

"Thank you, Sensei." Raiden says as he calms down. "But…how does it get easier to deal with?"

"I honestly don't know…" I say, looking at the ground. "I'm not an expert of dealing with grief in a positive way. I tend to bottle things and try to deal with it on my own. I have my whole life…but I've learned that it's easier to surround yourself with people who love you. So try not to shut people out."

"We can't be assholes…it would make Yui sad." Haruka says softly. "Can we….can we do monthly team dinners?"

"I love that idea." I say with a small smile. "When it's warm we can bring a picnic to Yui's grave and decorate it. She'd love that."

"She would." Raiden agrees with a nod. "I know that you said we should surround ourselves with people we love right now…but I think I want to go home."

"And that's okay…To take time for yourself." I say softly as I stand. He hugs me fully. "We'll plan our first team dinner soon, okay?"

"Okay." He says with a nod. He hugs Haruka before he waves to Shikamaru and he walks away.

"We'll walk you home." I say and she nods. I put my arm around her as we walk over to Shikamaru. "So I heard you had a question for me?"

"When can we pick back up on my medical training?" She asks and I look at her as we walk. She's still looking ahead.

"Give me a month." I say and she looks at me. "I need time too, Haruka…I'm sorry." I look away.

"Just let me know when you're ready." She says and I nod. The truth is…I probably will never be ready. This is one of those things that I'm going to have to force myself to do. In reality….I can't see myself taking on any more students. It's just not worth the risk. We reach Shikamaru and he kisses my forehead.

"You know…you could always ask Sachiko to give you some pointers." I suggest and she makes a face. "She gave me a few great tips when I was first starting out. If not for her, Lady Tsunade never would have looked twice at me."

"Now that's not true at all." Shikamaru says and I roll my eyes. "Minako Uchiha was not the sort of genin who would be ignored."

"That's not true either. I stayed under the radar quite a bit. Did I ever tell you that the Hokage offered to let me graduate a year early?"

"You did not." He says, eyebrows raised. "Though I guess that isn't surprising. You danced circles around everyone, your own brother included."

"Well that's just a given." I say, trying to fall back into cocky Minako mode. "Even though I'm a Nara now, I'm still the wisest Uchiha."

"I'd have to say the best looking one too." Shikamaru says and that gets a laugh out of me. He smiles. "Your laugh is still the best."

"If you guys are going to be gross, I'm walking home by myself." Haruka says and I tighten my arm around her. "When did you know it was love?"

"Shikamaru knew when he was being a creeper and watching me sleep." I say and he shakes his head. "It dawned on me slowly…but I definitely knew I had feelings for him a lot sooner than he realized he did for me. He may be a genius, but he's pretty dumb about me."

"I like to think I've gotten better." My husband mutters and I shrug, offering a wink. I see the change in his eyes. He thinks I'm burying my feelings. "What are you asking for anyway? You think you might be in love?"

"What an awkward question." Haruka says and I laugh. "No, but it'd be nice to know what to look for if I think that it might be happening."

"He'll probably piss you off to no end without even trying." I say seriously. She laughs a little bit. We make it to the compound and Haruka goes home…I know that she's exhausted. "Hey…do you…never mind."

"What?" He asks, pulling me to a stop and taking my hands. "You've had a look in your eye that's made me uneasy since you woke up this morning."

"So you were awake." I accuse and he gives me a look. "I don't know…I…the more I think about it, the more it is an incredibly dumb idea. And this is really a conversation we should have at home."

"So we'll come see my parents later." He says and then we're walking again. We don't speak as we head to our apartment. "What's going on?"

"What if we…what if we tried?" I ask carefully. We're in the living room…I'm watching him process what I said. "Like….tried." I mime a pregnant belly and his eyes widen.

"Why?" He asks, trying to assess my currently emotional state…very obviously. "And why would that be dumb?"

"Because…if I can't protect my students, how can I protect my children?" I ask, looking up towards the ceiling. "I want to…I want to have a kid with you. I'm just scared. And now that Yui is gone I feel like I can't breathe. She said she would always call me Sensei because I always taught her new things….and then I got her killed. Any child of mine has a target painted on them because of that man. So it's dumb…and we should…you should find someone who you can safely have children with so that you can get an heir."

"To hell with that." He says sharply. "Damn it, Minako. I've been patient, but you're not acting like yourself at all."

"I got a girl killed, Shikamaru!" I can't stop myself from yelling. "Why did the first man I lose have to be a fourteen-year-old girl!? I'm so tired of fighting. I want to quit, but I can't quit because too many people depend on me and I can't do it! I'm becoming a failure!"

"You're going to stop talking like that right now." Shikamaru says and I can't help the sob. "You're scared and you have every right to be, but you are not a failure. You are Minako. You look at the odds and you laugh them in the face."

"I can't do it anymore." My voice is a whisper. "I can't do this anymore…I just can't. Nothing feels real. I wake up every day and it's incredibly obvious to me that I'm pretending. Why can't it be easy?"

"Because you're hurting." He says and then he takes my hand. "I'm scared to death of losing you and it's worse because I have never seen you like this before."

"I'm sorry." I say and he shakes his head. "I just don't know how to handle this. How can I look at Haruka and Raiden? I let them down."

"So what are you going to do now?" He asks and I feel my eyebrows furrow together. "Minako, what do you want to do now? Not what do you need to do. To hell with that. Do you really want to have a child with me?"

"You know I do." I say and he pulls me closer. "But…what about Orochimaru? He said he would be back for me."

"I'd like to see him try." He says as he kisses the top of my head. "If you're ready to start our family, I'm ready too. And I mean, what are the chances that you'll get pregnant right away? We'll modify our plans to fit the current situation…we're flexible that way."

"This is crazy…" I say and he shakes his head. "I mean, this is crazy, right? A year ago I was freaked out about having kids."

"Things change." He says gently. "Minako, you know I'd do anything to protect you, right?"

"What kind of stupid question is that?" I ask and he smiles. That isn't the fake me going back to my old self. That was actual Minako.

* * *

"Sweetheart, you haven't touched your tea." Yoshino says and I look up, trying not to show that she had startled me.

"Sorry, I'm a little distracted today." I say with a smile as I pick up my tea and take a sip. Shikaku eyes me…he knows that something is up. Where the hell is Shikamaru? I hear Ayako start to cry and Yoshino stands up. I smile at her as she goes to her daughter.

"Let's take a walk." Shikaku suggests and I follow him without question. He obviously has something to say to me. "So Kakashi tells me that you refused a mission."

"I didn't refuse a mission." I say with a roll of my eyes. "He asked me if I wanted to go on this mission and I said no. That's hardly a refusal."

"You're scared." He says and it's not accusatory, but I bristle. "You look like your brother when you do that."

"I told him to cut his stupid hair." I mutter and my father-in-law chuckles. "I'm not scared." That's a bold faced lie. "I'm taking a break. I need it."

"It's been over a month." He says and I feel myself bristle further. He's choosing these words specifically to piss me off.

"So you're going to put a time frame on grief? I lost my entire clan in one fell swoop, I have every right to never get over anything ever." I say candidly. "I have technically been a medical shinobi for eight years, been through a Great Shinobi War and I have never lost a man that I have tried to save. I knitted your son's guts back together a week before our damn wedding."

"I appreciate all that you do…You just haven't been yourself." He says and I sigh, letting my shoulders relax.

"Things change." I say softly. Yui deserves more than me pretending to be unaffected by her passing. "Why did you bring me out here to make me angry?"

"I was bored." He says and I roll my eyes. "I also wanted to see if I could get you to spill the beans before Shikamaru arrived."

"Shikaku, you're growing very see-through in your old age." I say and he gives me a look. I smirk at him. "I do believe I sense your son now."

"You're losing your touch in your age." Shikamaru says as he walks up. "Sorry I'm late, I got held up at the office."

"Aren't you cute?" I ask as I pinch his cheek. "Let's go back inside. It's kind of chilly." I turn on my heel and head back towards the door. I sense the two men following me and when we return to the living room, Yoshino is sitting on the couch with Ayako in her arms rocking her. Shikamaru sits beside me and Shikaku sits beside his wife.

"I'm just going to talk now." Shikamaru says, looking at his parents. "Minako and I have decided to try for a child." Shikaku looks at me. "We've talked about it in length…and obviously there's reason for concern."

"I'm worried because when you're pregnant, there's no using chakra." Yoshino says as she looks at me. "You're taking out one of your greatest defenses."

"And that is something that I've considered in depth…but I trust in my village and my family to help look after me if I do get pregnant. We're just trying, I'm not pregnant yet." I say, folding my hands in my lap. "And besides, maybe pregnant Minako will be less appealing to him."

"As long as you think you're ready for it, we support you." Shikaku says and I smile. "I just don't want you giving up your career because you don't think you're capable."

"I don't want to talk about this." I say in an uncharacteristically sharp tone. "But I will. I warned everyone that making me a sensei was a terrible idea. Nobody saw fit to listen to me and an incredibly bright young woman is gone from the world because of it. I have given my mind and my body to this village and now it's time that I do something that I want to do. I want to have a child with my husband. You've never tried to push me to do anything, Shikaku, and I'm not going to allow you to try and push me now."

"Alright." He says patiently. "It's strange…seeing you want to settle down for once. You've been on the go since before even I can remember."

"I'm not pregnant yet." I say with a roll of my eyes. "I'll continue my duties around the village."

"Do what you want to do, Sweetheart." Yoshino says with a fond smile. "Maybe now Shikamaru will stop avoiding his great uncle."

"I'm not avoiding anyone, I'm just a busy man." My husband says and I laugh a little. "And what could you possibly have to say?"

"You've spent entirely too much time with me." I say and he gives me a look. "What? I wasn't avoiding you. I needed to get to the grocery before they closed."

"And leaping into Kiba's arms, telling him to take you away from there wasn't avoiding me?" He asks and I shake my head.

"You've held onto this for entirely too long, but yes. I was giving you a chance to run away. Now you're stuck with me." I say and he shrugs.

"There are worse things, I suppose." He says and I shake my head. He looks over at the clock. "We'd better get going. We've got reservations."

"Wait, what?" I ask, raising an eyebrow. He smirks at me. "Reservations for what? I don't remember anything."

"That's because it's a surprise. Since I wasn't here for our anniversary." He says and Yoshino has an approving look. "Come along, Darling." I raise an eyebrow at him.

"You two are still coming for dinner on Friday, yes?" Yoshino confirms and I smile and nod. "Good, because I'm making your favorite."

"You truly are the best gift I ever received in life, Yoshino." I say with a hand over my heart as I stand. Shikamaru takes my other hand and we leave the house. He's pulling me along. "How did you manage to surprise me?"

"It was easy. I just stopped in before I came home after my mission. You expected something special within the days after I got home. I knew you'd be fine with it and you'd appreciate this more." He says and I narrow my eyes at him. "What? We still celebrated."

"True, but I don't like you being sneaky." I say and then I shake my head. "But I guess I do appreciate the surprise."

"Ino owes me. She said you'd be mad." He says and I chuckle. "I'll bet she didn't surprise you for your anniversary."

"You're not actually starting to get jealous of Ino….are you?" I ask and he rolls his eyes. "Oh honey."

"Don't you 'Oh Honey', me." He mutters and I laugh. "She tells me what I'm doing wrong."

"I don't think that you do anything wrong." I say, bringing his hand to my mouth and kissing it. "You're a pretty great husband."


	16. One Up

**Hello lovelies! Sorry for the hold up on this chapter, but it took me quite a while to write! I'm not totally satisfied with it, but it's decent! As always, constructive criticism is appreciated! And if you would like some more BL universe stuff, check out Little Lights! Also, there is a Tumblr page where I sometimes post bits of things that have inspired me in writing. For now, I'll let you go and enjoy the chapter! Til next time! 3**

* * *

I pace back and forth as I prepare myself emotionally for what I'm about to check. Shikamaru is away on a mission right now…so it's good that he's not here to see me freaking out a little bit. I take a deep breath before I focus the chakra into my hand and examine my womb. I'm definitely pregnant.

"Holy shit." I let out a breath before I go over and step into my sandals. I head out of the house and head for the Sarutobi residence. Asuma answers when I knock. "Hey, sorry to burst in unannounced like this."

"You know we're always more than happy to have you over. Come in, Kurenai is finishing up making breakfast." He says as he steps back. I step inside and remove my shoes before I follow him to the kitchen where Kurenai is indeed cooking. Mirai squeals when she sees me and runs over to give me a hug. I stoop and give the girl a light squeeze. "So to what do we owe the pleasure?"

"Oh….you know." I say as I stand up. Kurenai raises an eyebrow as she looks at me. "Uh…actually I'm not sure why I came here? Maybe because I feel a little awkward…which isn't something I'm used to."

"What's wrong?" She asks, concern filling her tone. If it's making me uncomfortable, it definitely is something big.

"I'm ninety-eight percent certain that I'm pregnant." I say and Asuma's eyebrows shoot up. "Yeah. I'm kind of freaking out."

"Well…it's going to be okay." Kurenai says, immediately going for reassuring. "Is this something that you two have talked about?"

"Crap. I forgot to mention that we'd agreed to try." I say and she smiles. "So yay? But I guess I just didn't expect it so soon…and he's away right now so it's just kind of weird."

"Of course. Why don't you stay for breakfast and then we can go get you checked out…just to be sure. I trust you, but you're kind of freaked out so maybe we can get a second opinion." She says and I nod slowly. "Excellent. Have a seat."

"Okay." I say with a nod. Asuma pulls out a chair for me at the table and I narrow my eyes at him.

"What?" He asks, slightly amused. I shake my head, but go over and sit down. "So you and Shikamaru…parents."

"It is kind of weird, isn't it?" I ask with a bit of a laugh. "Shoot….you know who else I forgot to mention it to?"

"Your brothers?" He asks and I nod, laughing. "They're going to be very surprised. I imagine Sakura will be thrilled."

"She will…I'm fairly certain that Sasuke will flip out. Itachi will be surprised, but he'll probably say something comparing me to our mother." I say and Mirai looks at me.

"What happened to your momma, Auntie Mina?" She asks and I smile sadly. She walks over and climbs into my lap.

"When I was a little girl she went to live in Heaven." I explain gently. They've explained death to her…and that's the most gentle way she understands it.

"Is that what happened to your daddy too?" She asks and I nod. "I'll share my mommy and daddy with you." She hugs me, nuzzling my neck.

"That's so kind of you, Mirai. Thank you." I say, giving her a squeeze. "Now tell me, have you been a good girl for mommy and daddy?"

"Yes! I helped momma with breakfast!" She exclaims and I smile. "What does pregnant mean?"

"There might be a baby growing in my tummy." I say and she pulls back to look down at my stomach. She hums.

"I think there are two babies!" She exclaims and my eyes widen. Asuma laughs as he lifts her up and slings her onto his back.

"Let's not get ahead of ourselves, you'll scare Auntie Mina. Now let's go wash our hands." He says as he walks off towards the bathroom.

"Do you need any help, Kurenai?" I ask going to stand up and she gives me a look. "We're not certain that I'm pregnant yet."

"You're ninety-eight percent certain. Just sit back and relax for once." She says and I laugh like it's the funniest thing I've ever heard. "Have you talked with Shikamaru's parents." That cuts my laughter short.

"I don't want to do that without him. My feet carried me here first for whatever reason." I say and she nods.

"You're like family." She says firmly. "Anything you need, I'm more than happy to help to the best of my ability."

"That's really a relief…I think I came here because I knew that you two wouldn't freak out." I say and she chuckles. "What? Ino would scream at the top of her lungs. Sasuke will probably end up challenging Shikamaru to a duel even though we're married. I'm not certain Itachi is in town." I'm not doing a very good job at relaxing. I take a deep breath.

"Family watches out for each other." She says and I smile. Asuma and Mirai return and Kurenai brings the food to the table. I eat a little bit and I stay quiet for the most part…trying to remain calm. "I'll be back in a while." Kurenai is talking to Asuma…wait, how much time has passed? I glance at the clock. Twenty minutes, jeez. "Minako?"

"Coming." I say as I stand up. I walk over and give Mirai a kiss on the top of the head. "Try not to give your old man too much trouble?"

"I promise!" She exclaims and I smile. "Have fun with momma!" I make the motion of crossing my heart. Asuma nods at me and then I leave with Kurenai. We head for the hospital. Instead of stopping at the front desk, I immediately lead the way back to Lady Tsunade's office. She looks up from a folder and raises an eyebrow at me.

"I need you to check on something for me." I say and the confusion briefly turns to concern. "It's nothing bad I just…ah…I think I might be pregnant." I whisper.

"Ah hell." She says as she stands up and walks around the desk. "Follow me." We do so and she leads the way to an examination room. I hop up onto the table. "What makes you think you're pregnant?"

"I wasn't a hundred percent sure because I'm not used to a regular cycle anyway, so I checked and I'm almost sure, but I'm freaked out so I want you to check." I say and she nods and gestures for me to lay down.

"There's no need to be freaked out." Kurenai says gently and I laugh a little. "You'll be a wonderful mother."

"Well…you're most certainly pregnant. It appears that you're still pretty early on. I would say about….seven or eight weeks." Tsunade says as she goes over to the cabinet. "Go ahead and start taking these vitamins. I'm going to take your case myself." She tosses me the bottle and I tuck it into my pouch. "Are you alright?"

"Honestly…I just hope that Mirai isn't right." I say and Kurenai lets out a sort of laugh. "I'm kind of in shock."

"Just try to keep stress to a minimum. I know how easy that is for you, but you have to do your best." Lady Tsunade is being oddly maternal with me. "When is Shikamaru due back?"

"Tomorrow night at the latest." I say and then I sigh. "I'm gonna kick his ass all the way across the village. It wasn't supposed to happen this fast."

"Well, ready or not." My mentor shrugs. "Everything will be fine. You're in very good shape and you have medical experience under your belt."

"I know." I say with a nod. "I just…I mean I guess I have time to get more used to the idea."

"Plenty of time." Kurenai agrees. I run a hand through my hair and let out a steadying breath. There's a knock on the door.

"If the door's closed, that means we're busy!" Lady Tsunade yells and I chuckle to myself.

"I just wanted to make sure everything was alright. I sensed Minako's chakra." Sakura says as she opens the door and walks in. "So is it?"

"Well…yes." I say and Kurenai pats me on the knee. "Don't say anything to anyone, not even Sasuke, but…I'm pregnant." My sister-in-law laughs.

"That makes two of us, then." She says and my jaw drops. "Sasuke doesn't even know yet."

"I wonder how long it would take him to notice." I say thoughtfully and she laughs. "He's not the sharpest tool in the shed. You should realize that by now."

"It's not that he isn't smart…he just doesn't pay attention to things sometimes." She says with a shake of her head.

"Because he's too focused on training or work. The dumb ass." I shake my own head. "He's always been that way, I tried to warn you."

"You did, but at least I got a sweet sister-in-law out of the deal." She says and I laugh. "You're in shock aren't you?"

"Yup!" I say cheerfully. "I think I want to go home now. I've got some things to do." I carefully climb off of the table.

"You're going to be okay?" Kurenai asks and I look at her and smile. "If you need anything at all, you know that you can come to us."

"I know…I know that I can rely on all of you, but I need to process this on my own for a little bit." I say gently. "So I'm going to do that."

"Yeah, yeah. Just get out of here." Lady Tsunade says and I can't help but laugh. The sentimental behavior must be over for now, but that's okay. We file out.

"Thank you for coming with me Kurenai." I say and she hugs me. I chuckle as I gently squeeze her back.

"Do you want to come back with me? Both of you?" She asks, looking between Sakura and I.

"Actually…I think that I need to process this by myself for a little while before Shikamaru gets home." I say and she nods, understanding.

"And Sasuke will probably be there when I get back…training in the yard as usual. It will be fun to surprise him." Sakura says, an evil glint gleaming in her eye. Kurenai shakes her head before she heads off. "Do you want me to check on you later?"

"Company would be welcome." I say with a nod. "You guys could come over for dinner."

"That sounds great. We'll come over around six." She says with a nod. "And I'll let you tell him."

"See ya, Sakura." I say with a wave and then I begin walking in the direction of my apartment. As I open the door I notice someone in the kitchen and I move to attack, only to realize that it's Shikamaru.

"Give me a heart attack, why don't you?" I ask as I let out a breath. My heart is racing frantically. "You're suppressing your chakra a little too well."

"I'm sorry. Are you okay?" He asks, clearly confused. I close the door and nod, smiling. "You usually don't leave dishes…"

"Oh, I had to take something to Kurenai. I didn't think you'd be home until tomorrow, so I didn't think I'd get caught." I say and he shakes his head.

"It's fine. You just normally don't do it." He says, rinsing off the last one and setting it to dry. "You sure you're okay?"

"I'm fine." I say with a smile. "But I could definitely use a nap, so I'm going to do that. You're more than welcome to join me." I make my way to the bedroom where I kick off my shoes and lay down.

"Now I know you aren't fine." He says as he lays down beside me and puts his arms around me. His skin is still warm from his shower. "What's going on?"

"I'm pregnant." I say and he makes me look at him. "I just got checked…like twenty minutes ago. Lady Tsunade says that I'm about seven or eight weeks in."

"That's great." He says and I smile. "But you're freaked out…why?" We lay back and he plays with my hair like he normally does.

"Well…what if I'm not a good mother?" I ask and he makes a noise of disapproval. "What? It's an honest fear."

"You may be rough around the edges…but you have more than enough love in your heart. We'll be ready." He says, his hand going over my stomach.

"I didn't expect it to happen this quickly…Jerk." I say and he laughs. "Of course, laugh it up now."

"Yes, dear." He says, kissing the top of my head. "Go to sleep, you're grumpy." I flick his hand, but settle in none the less.

* * *

"I've changed my mind." I say as I stop walking. The Nara main house is in sight. At least Shikaku has probably already sensed our chakra.

"You have nothing to be afraid of." My husband says, his hand at the small of my back to gesture me forward. "I promise." Shikaku opens the door and quirks an eyebrow at us.

"What?" I don't mean to snap at him…I'm not particularly annoyed… I offer a sheepish look.

"Nothing, please come in." He says, apparently forgiving me. We walk inside and take our shoes off. I feel like I'm being led to execution as we walk down the hall towards the dining room. I've walked this path hundreds of times by this point in my life, but my pulse is racing in my ears….my head is spinning.

"Mina!" Shikamaru exclaims and that's when I realize that I'm falling. Shikaku, being the closest, catches me before I hit the floor and I take a steadying breath before I sit up. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing, I'm fine." I say as I push my hair back over my shoulder. Yoshino is standing there, worry apparent on her face with Ayako balanced on her hip. The two-year-old girl's eyebrows are furrowed, but she makes no noise of discomfort…she's a quiet child. I smile. "Really, I'm okay."

"Why are you so nervous you nearly passed out?" Shikaku asks, his tone a mocking sort of stern. He's seen me nervous before, so of course he knows.

"Well…I'm pregnant." I say and his eyebrows shoot up. "And I was afraid of telling you because I thought you'd be mad?"

"Why on Earth would we be angry with you, Minako?" Yoshino asks, a smile spreading across her face. "A grandchild…how long have you known?"

"About a week and a half? I'm eight or nine weeks at this point." I say and Shikamaru helps me stand.

"Congratulations." Shikaku says with a broad smile. "Choza and Inoichi are going to be jealous! A grandchild!"

"Well…" I start, but then I stop myself, my smirk making itself prominent on my face. "I was going to make a joke about age, but I decided against it."

"You know, not even your jokes, which really are a drag by the way, are going to bring me down right now." He says and I laugh. "You look exactly like your brother when you smirk like that."

"I'm not sure who copied who in that respect." I say with a shrug. "So…you're really not upset? This happened so much sooner than we expected."

"Dear, we're ecstatic." Yoshino says as she comes over and hugs me. Ayako wraps an arm around me as well. "How are you feeling?"

"Exhausted." I sigh. "Somehow this is different from the exhaustion I'm used to working around."

"It should get better." My mother-in-law says with a very slight smirk. "But really you need to try and keep stress to a minimum. I don't need to tell you how bad that is for the baby. No more stressing out about people knowing. Have you told your brothers yet?"

"We're waiting to see how long it takes for Sasuke to notice. Sakura is pregnant too and we thought it would be a fun game to play." I say and Shikaku shakes his head. "What? He's a bright boy when he wants to be. Anyway, Itachi isn't in town and so I'll have to wait until he's here to tell him. Other than that, you two, Sakura, and the Sarutobi family are the only ones who know…. well of course Lady Tsunade as well."

"She's already starting to show a little bit." Shikamaru says as he smooths my shirt down from behind me, using the other hand to turn me to the side.

"Well you are, aren't you? Oh my." Yoshino says with bright eyes. "Before long you'll be in maternity clothes."

"Please don't remind me." I say with a sigh. "I know that my body is no longer mine…and I know that people will try to touch my belly without my consent and I can't promise that I won't harm them. I can blame it on pregnancy hormones slash ninja reflexes."

"Pregnant kunoichi can be very disastrous people to enrage." Shikaku says and I chuckle. It comes out more menacing than I intended.

* * *

"So…we should talk about god parents." I say as I sit down on the edge of the couch. "Who are you thinking?"

"So presumptuous that I've thought of such a thing." He says as he lays back and looks up at the ceiling. "I don't like that I've thought of it."

"I want Ino to be the godmother." I say and he hums. "I can probably guess who you want as the godfather."

"Like you know me so well." He says with a smirk. "Choji is my best friend…I don't think I would trust anyone more than I trust those two."

"Then it's decided." I say with a smile and then I go to stand up, but he wraps his arms around me, making me lay against his chest. "If you wanted to cuddle, all you had to do was ask." I move so that I'm more comfortable. "Isn't it weird? We're going to be parents."

"It is kind of weird." He agrees and I laugh. "But I'm excited…nervous, but excited. Normally I feel like…it's a baby, whatever, who cares if it likes me?"

"But this is your son or daughter…though I tend to lean more towards daughter." I say and he smiles.

"All according to plan." He says and I shake my head. "How are you feeling today?" I chuckle.

"Oh I feel terrible, but I'm coping." I say and he gently rubs my stomach. "I'd better start on dinner though, the godparents will be here soon."

"Why don't you let me cook?" He asks as I slip out of his grasp and head for the kitchen. "Your stomach is upset."

"I have a very strong stomach." I say as I use a very small amount of chakra to dull my sense of smell. I set about making dinner and about half-way through there's a knock on the door. It's our friends. Shikamaru goes over and lets them in.

"It smells great, Minako!" Choji exclaims and I offer a smile over my shoulder at him. I give the chicken and vegetables a good toss..

"You know how much I love stir-fry." I say simply. Ino comes over and bumps me with her hip before she goes and sets the table for the four of us. "I feel like I haven't seen you two in forever. What sorts of glamorous things have you been up to?"

"Things have actually been peaceful, so no glamour to speak of. Well…unless you count my looks, but you never have to outwardly compliment me, darling." She says and I sigh wistfully.

"But you do know how much I enjoy admiring your beauty." I say and she snickers. "I'm glad Shikamaru tolerates us."

"It's because you've got a cute butt." She confirms and I laugh. "That and your smarts, of course."

"Of course." I say with a wink. I transfer the food into serving dishes and the four of us sit down and begin eating.

"This tastes great as usual." Choji says as he goes in for a second helping. I've more than prepared because Shikamaru can heat this up for left-overs and I won't have to cook again.

"I already have a to-go package ready for you." I say brightly and he grins. "You never said how things were going for you."

"They're good…I actually have something to tell you guys." He says and I raise my eyebrows. "I asked Karui to marry me."

"About time!" I exclaim with a grin. "Congratulations, Choji! When's the wedding?" I ask.

"We haven't gotten that far in planning yet." He says with a fond smile. "What's new with you two? We really haven't had much time to spend together." I don't want to trample over his news… I look at Shikamaru and he nods. "Is everything okay?"

"Oh yeah, everything is great." I say as I wipe my mouth on my napkin. I haven't eaten very much. "Actually…we've got some news."

"Oh my god, you're pregnant." Ino says, her hands going over my mouth. I smile and she screams before she hugs me.

"And we wanted to ask the two of you if you would do us the tremendous honor of being the baby's godparents." I say and I can feel the tears on my neck. "Oh, Honey."

"Don't you 'oh, Honey' me." She says, squeezing me a little tighter. "Can I?" She asks as she holds out her hand. I nod my consent and she uses a diagnostic jutsu. "Uh…Minako…."

"Is she okay?" I ask, forming the seal to check for myself but she stops me. "Ino, you're scaring me."

"Have you had an appointment this week yet?" She asks and my heart drops into the pit of my stomach. I shake my head. "Well…I think that there are two fetuses."

"You have got to be fucking shitting me." I say as I sit back in my seat. I look at Shikamaru and he shrugs. "What do you mean, 'shrug'!?" I exclaim. "This is all your fault."

"It takes two to tango." Ino mutters and I turn my fierce glare on her and she just smiles. "It's okay, Minako." Her tone is more gentle. "I'm sure that everything will be perfectly fine."

"Well of course it will be." I say as I let my head fall back. "Well…" I feel tension building in my shoulders with worry. "Shinobi are different. One of them could…" I feel emotional all of a sudden. "One of them could die from lack of chakra because the larger of the babies will take most of it."

"You didn't." Shikamaru says and I sit up and look at him. "So…we'll just take it a day at a time."

"And we're behind you every step of the way. As usual." Choji says, reaching over and taking one of my hands. "You're more than just my best friend's wife, Minako. You've always been one of my best friends too."

"Thank you, Choji." I say and Ino takes my other hand. "Maybe I can figure out how to patch the smaller baby into my reserve somehow. Even if it exhausts my supply…"

"It's nothing you can't replace…Meaning the supply." Ino clarifies her meaning and I shake my head. "How are you feeling?"

"Oh, I feel awful." I say with a cheerful laugh. "But that's just part of it…I'll be fine." I give a reassuring smile.

"And how do you feel, Shikamaru? Has she put her fist through a wall yet?" She asks and I chuckle.

"No, she's been very nice to me actually." He says and I smile sweetly. "I don't know what my dad was talking about at all."

"Maybe I'm just not as scary as your mom." I say, a slow grin spreading across my face. I'm intentionally trying to look intimidating now, but then I let it drop. "I'm too tired for that."

"That's probably most of the reason why you've been nice." He says and I laugh. He smiles and it's the most loving look.

"I'm so excited for you guys…and I'm more than happy to be the godfather to your children. You're already like family anyway." Choji says and I feel tears welling up in my eyes. "If you need anything at all, we're here."

"Team Asuma always has each other's backs." Ino says, making a fist combined with her signature determined look.

"Oh lord, I have to tell the boys that you got me pregnant." I say and Shikamaru chuckles. "They can be almost as bad as Sasuke."

"Speaking of which, how did he react when you told him?" Ino asks and I snicker. "You're waiting until he notices, aren't you?"

"You know me so well." I say, laughing now. "Yeah, I haven't told him." I elect not to tell her of Sakura's pregnancy, just because I don't know who all knows about that just yet. "And Itachi isn't in town, so of course I haven't told him yet. So far you two, the Sarutobi family, Shikaku, Yoshino, Sakura, and Lady Tsunade are the only ones who know."

"She was so afraid of telling my parents she nearly passed out." Shikamaru tattles on me and I glare at him. "It was cute once I got past being afraid that something was wrong with you."

"Something must be wrong with you if you thought they would be anything but thrilled. Babies are so exciting! I can't wait to see how Shikaku reacts when he finds out there are two." Ino says and I chuckle.

"He already said that your dads were going to be so jealous." I say and then smirk. "To which I promptly made a joke about him being old. I imagine he'll gloat once we give the go ahead to talk about it in public."

"That doesn't sound quite like Shikaku, but he was so excited about Ayako." Ino allows and Shikamaru shakes his head. "What?"

"Just thinking about the talk he had with me. It's nothing." He says and I raise my eyebrow. "It was just about what being a father is like. I told him I'd figure it out."

"You'll be a great father." I say and Ino's eyes fill with tears. "It's me we're going to have to worry about." She glares at me. "What? I'm crazy."

"You're a little crazy, but really affectionate. They'll appreciate that." Choji says and I laugh. "You'll be a great mother."

"I can't tell you how many times I've told her that. Or how many times Sakura has told her that. She doesn't seem to believe anyone." Shikamaru says, resting his chin in his hand.

"I'm sure everything will be fine when they're here." I say, waving it all away. "I have every right to be afraid that the spawns I'm carrying won't like me."

"Fair enough." Choji allows and I smile. "Now…I haven't said anything…but are you feeling okay?"

"The name lies. Morning sickness is anything but just in the morning. But I'm surviving." I say and Shikamaru looks concerned. "In the average pregnancy, it should go away in a couple of weeks. Should. It better."

* * *

"I feel like I haven't seen you in a long time." Sasuke says as he walks with me. We're in the shopping district…headed to pick up his new kunai set.

"Well I'm still taking a break." I say as I look up at him. "It's pretty dangerous out there for the likes of me so long as Orochimaru still lives."

"I know…and I'm working on it." He says and I frown. "What's wrong?" He stops walking and we move off to the side.

"I worry about you…if I lost you, that would be like losing part of my soul." I say and his eyebrows draw together in that vaguely concerned way it does when I get emotional with him. "Sasuke…there's something I need to tell you." I start walking again. I can't hide this from him anymore…almost literally.

"Is everything okay?" He asks, catching up with me. "Mina." He takes my hand and I squeeze his.

"I'm pregnant." I say and then I look up at him. He's pale and his eyes are wide. "With twins."

"Fucking shit, Mina! How long have you known!?" He exclaims and I laugh. "I'm going to be an uncle? Seriously?"

"Seriously." I say and he hugs me. "I've known for about four weeks now. I'm eleven weeks in. I wanted to wait for you to notice, but you're taking too long."

"So wait…do you know about…" He asks and I raise my eyebrow. "Sakura is pregnant too."

"Oh yeah, she was there when I found out I was pregnant." I say and he glares at me. I laugh again. I glance at the position of the sun and then right on schedule, Kimi pops up. "I'm doing well today, could you tell Shikaku that he's free to gloat whenever?"

"Absolutely! I'll check back in at three!" She chirps and then she's gone. I look to my brother and smile.

"She worries and so I gave her permission to check up on me…she comes every three hours or so when she's not busy." I say and he shrugs. "No hard feelings?"

"I come to expect trickery from you. It all started with the pink underwear." He says and I snicker. "No…I'm really excited."

"I'm glad, you're going to be a great father and a great uncle." I say and he ruffles my hair. "Boy!"

"I wonder how Itachi's going to react when we tell him that he's going to be an uncle three times over." He says thoughtfully.

"He's what?" Our brother asks as he appears behind us…Well I'm sure he didn't just randomly appear, but we're both shocked.

"Surprise!" I say with a bright smile. "I've got two buns in the oven and Sakura's got one."

"You always have to one up me, don't you?" Sasuke asks, giving me a light glower. I snicker.

"There's one thing that you've got me beat on, which is height." I say and he shakes his head. Itachi has wide eyes. "Are you going to be okay?"

"I'm really happy." He says, a serene smile forming on his face. "As long as you're in good health and good spirits."

"I'm…in okay spirits." I say, resting my hand on my stomach. "I'm getting fat very quickly and I still have a lot of studying to do on seals. I need to patch the smaller baby into my reserve. My work is never finished." I sigh.

"I don't need to tell you that you need to reduce stress." My older brother chastises me and I stick my tongue out at him.

"Are you guys hungry?" I ask, rubbing my stomach again. "I'm in the mood for cake and Shikamaru has been super annoying saying that I shouldn't eat so much cake. To which you can probably assume what I promptly tell him."

"Probably something along the lines of you're carrying his children, he should worship the ground you walk on." Sasuke says and I point at him. "I don't know why I'm surprised that you're craving cake."

"No that's just normal me wanting cake. I've been craving soft pretzels, but I'm concerned about the sodium intake causing swelling too quickly." I say with a sigh. "I guess I could get them unsalted, but it's just not the same."

"Anything else?" Itachi asks with a chuckle. I hum, rubbing my belly like it's a crystal ball.

"They want strawberries as well. Strawberry shortcake has been my go-to." I say and he chuckles.

"That's what mother craved with you two." He says and I laugh. "There's something that I need to tell you two." I make a show of listening to him. "Very funny…but I am seeing someone."

"Yes!" I exclaim, jumping into the air. "You're not going to be a lonely old man!" He glowers at me as he catches me mid-air. "Oh come on, they're not going to fall out."

"Her name is Emiko and I was going to invite you and your spouses over for dinner." He says and my eyes widen.

"Emiko Fukuhara?" I ask and his eyes are fond. "After you left she invited me to a kunoichi study group. I went a few times but…"

"She's told me about it." He says and I smile. "Now let's see about getting you some cake."

"I'll meet you guys there. I'm going to get my kunai." Sasuke says and then he leaps onto the nearest roof. I take my older brother's arm and rest my head against his shoulder.

"I'm so glad that we're all happy despite how things have worked out." I say and he pats my hand. "Emiko is a great person."

"I'm glad that you approve." He says and it's slightly sarcastic. "Though I do know that anyone would have to make it through your scrutiny before anything advanced. You're quite the stealthy saboteur."

"I take into account their happiness before I make plans." I say and then he opens the door for us to head into the café. We claim a table for three.

"I'll be back with your cake." He promises, making me sit down. I look at my stomach and smile at the slight bump that is taking shape. It's probably really crowded in there for them…I wonder if they're aware like I was. "How are you feeling?" Itachi asks as he sits down with two plates. One with dango for himself and one with my cake for me.

"I'm nervous…for several reasons. But mostly it's fear that I'm going to be a terrible mother. Several people have already told me otherwise, but I wouldn't expect any different from my friends." I say as I pick up my fork.

"You'll be a stern, yet fair mother." He says, which is different from what the others have told me. It somewhat makes me feel better. "I'm not worried one bit."

"There's also Orochimaru to worry about." I say and his mouth falls into a firm line. "I'm just being realistic."

"I know." He says and I sigh. "But I don't want you to worry about that. I'm working to eliminate that problem."

"Just don't use your Sharingan too much." I say and he smiles. "Seriously. There are worse things than blindness, but I want you to see your nieces or nephews."

"I'll do my best." He says reassuringly. "Now eat your cake." I happily oblige, glancing over when Sasuke enters the café. He grabs himself a snack before he sits down with us.

"So have you thought of any names yet?" He asks and I smile. He's going to be surrounded by babies…it's a good thing he's so excited.

"I have a few ideas. I'll have a better idea of course when they're developed enough to determine the sex." I say and then sigh. "This cake is really good."

"Be careful. I may have to tell Shikamaru that you're cheating on him with a cake." Itachi says and I laugh.

"He'd understand." I say and that gets a headshake from him. "He should be home today."

"Good, I don't like the idea of you being pregnant and home alone." Sasuke says and I shake my head.

"Just because I'm pregnant doesn't mean I can't do things for myself...well not yet anyway." I say and then sigh. "I'm not looking forward to such a restricted range of motion."

"I'm sure you'll manage." Itachi says, patting me on top of my head. "And you'll have help."

"I will have help." I agree after a steadying breath. "I'm glad you two know now…I was getting tired of waiting."

"If you weren't an asshole, you might not have had to wait so long to tell me." Sasuke says dryly and I smile sweetly at him.

"If I weren't an asshole, nobody would know what to think." I say and Itachi rolls his eyes. "Quit picking on the pregnant lady!"

"You're definitely going to use that to your advantage." Sasuke says and I can't help but laugh.


	17. Causing Trouble

**Welcome to chapter 17! Thank you so much for sticking with me through this! I'm trying to keep my inspiration up, but I've been on a dry spell for a while! Hopefully you all enjoy this chapter!**

When I open my eyes it isn't because I'm a normal person waking up. Something is definitely wrong. The sun is up enough...and I hear people moving around outside, but something is off in here. I move as quickly as I can and conceal myself right beside where my bedroom door will open. I hold the kunai knife in hand…

"Minako?" Shikamaru asks as he opens the door and I let out the breath that I didn't realize that I'd been holding. "What's the matter?"

"Probably you concealing your chakra." I say with a sigh as I set the kunai down. I run a hand over my growing stomach.

"I'm sorry…I need to get better about that." He says as he pulls me into his arms. "I just got home." He crouches down and kisses my stomach. "How are all my girls?"

"You're still stuck on that?" I ask as the smile spreads across my face. He smiles up at me. "I'm fine...I didn't dream last night, so that was welcome. Please tell me that you're home for at least a few days?"

"A few days sounds good." He says as he stands and kisses my forehead. "I'm going to take a shower and then take a nap for a while. You want to join me?"

"I would love to, but I've got somewhere I need to be." I say and then I see him combing his mental planner. "Don't worry, it's nothing that you need to be involved in just yet. I'm going to help Ino and your mother with planning the baby shower."

"Okay. And since I'm here for at least a few days, how do you feel about house hunting?" He asks and I smile.

"That sounds alright…it's just odd. I felt like we wouldn't outgrow this place too quickly." I say as I look around.

"You're the one who got pregnant with twins." He says and I glare at him. "I know, I know. I helped."

"You're damn right ya did. Asshole. Go take a shower." I say as I walk over to the closet and grab out one of my new dresses. It's not garishly maternity, but it works over the stomach that I've got going on. At three and a half months pregnant with two babies, my body is quickly changing. I'm terrified what it's going to be like as time goes on. I step into a pair of sandals before I go over and style my hair like I normally do. I toss the bag I've been toting around over my shoulder before I head out of the bedroom. "Love you, Jerk!"

"Love you too." He calls from the shower and I smile before I head out. I make my way down the stairs and head towards the Nara compound.

"It's true what they say about pregnant women!" Ino exclaims as she falls into step with me. "You're positively glowing."

"No. That's sweat." I say dryly and she laughs. "Sure, laugh it up. I can't wait until you have kids."

"You're cranky today. How are you feeling?" She asks as she does a visual once-over. Trying to discern my discomforts.

"I'm fine. I actually slept pretty well last night." I say and then I sigh. "Shikamaru came home this morning and I nearly stabbed him because he forgot about not concealing his chakra."

"I can think of someone else who used to be bad about that." She says and I bump her with my hip. "How are your hips by the way?"

"I've felt wobbly. I know that they're just getting ready, but it's way too soon for that." I say with another sigh.

"It'll be fine. We're here to help you through anything." She says as she puts a comforting arm around me. "Other than wobbly hips, how are you?"

"The queasiness has gone down considerably, thank goodness." I say and then I smile. "Shikamaru thinks they're girls."

"That would be so cute! But I think you're having boys. You look like you're carrying low." She says and I shake my head as I smooth my dress over my bump. One hand at top, one underneath.

"I don't think I'm particularly high or low. It's just there." I say and she laughs. "Isn't this weird? I'm having kids." We arrive at the main house and I knock on the door. Shikaku answers and I quickly glance towards the sky. It's far past the time when he's usually left for the office.

"Good morning." He says as he steps back. Ino and I walk in. "Yoshino is in the dining room. I fear she's a bit excited. If you'll excuse me, I have to get back to a game of hide and seek."

"Ah, of course." I say with a smile. That's when Ayako comes running up and she hugs me. "Good morning!" I say as I lift her into my arms.

"You shouldn't be lifting things or children." Shikaku chastises as he takes his daughter from me.

"He's right you know." Ino says, putting her hands on her hips. I wave a hand in dismissal.

"They're not going to fall out. And besides, Miss Ayako is a tiny thing." I say and she giggles. "Well, we'll be planning the shindig to welcome your grandchildren if you need anything."

"I'm staying far away from that." He says and I stick my tongue out at him. Lucky. I'd rather just do everything myself. We make our way to the dining room just as Yoshino is setting a tray with tea things on the dining room table.

"Alright, let's get to work." Ino says pounding her fist with her hand. "What sort of games do you want?"

"I don't know. What sort of games do people usually have at these sorts of things?" I ask, looking to my mother-in-law.

"Well…there's a fun game where someone goes around with a ball of yarn and everyone cuts off a piece, trying to guess how big your bell is." She says and I feel my eye twitch.

"I don't want anyone staring at me trying to discern just how fat I am. Anything else?" I ask and she hums.

"Everyone receives a clothes pin and anytime the word 'baby' is said, they lose their pin to the person who heard it first." She says and I hum.

"That could be fun with the shinobi type. Put it on the list." I say as I sit down. "Oh I know! We could do a variation of pin the tail on the donkey! Pin the sperm on the egg!"

"We are not." Yoshino says, trying to contain her laughter. "How about we have them try to guess your delivery date based upon the due date?"

"Nobody but my medics are going to get anywhere close, but we can try it." I say with a smile. "We'll table Pin the Sperm for now. We've still got a little while before the party."

"Are you going to announce the sex of the babies before the party?" Ino asks and I shrug. "Well do you care very much?"

"Not particularly. You know I've never been a fan of gender specific things." I say and she shakes her head. "What? If I have a daughter I don't want her to be shoved into a pink box. I want her to be who she wants to be."

"Can I check?" She asks and I shrug. She gives a gleeful noise before she crouches by my side and begins checking me over. "You two are not in a good position for this today. Have they been particularly squirmy?"

"The larger one has been. It seems like it's been pushing it's sibling around. I can only imagine that's what Sasuke did when we were in the womb and as a result it made me the way I am with him today." I say and Yoshino chuckles. "Also…I have some news. Under the guidance of Lady Tsunade, I'm going to try and patch the smaller child into my chakra reserve. So that it takes it from that and the one who is getting more chakra from me naturally."

"Is that risky for you?" Yoshino asks and I shrug. "Well…just keep me up to date on what's happening."

"I wouldn't keep you out of the loop." I say with a smile. "It's pretty tentative as is. I just don't want to risk losing one of them."

"They're strong like their momma." Ino says comfortingly. "Now…onto more planning!" I smile, putting a hand on my stomach.

* * *

"Sensei, save me!" I wake up in a cold sweat as I hear a familiar voice and Shikamaru jumps up, landing with his hands in the familiar rat seal.

"It's okay." I say as I take a few deep breaths. "Everything is fine." He sits down on the edge of the bed and runs a hand over his face. "I'm sorry…I just…Did you hear…"

"I heard you cry out." He says and I nod. "What did you hear?" He's rubbing my back comfortingly.

"I heard Yui…it was like she was right here with me." I say and he looks at me. "I know…I know but…"

"Well, you at least waited until it was an okay time to wake up." He says as he glances at his alarm clock. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah, we're fine." I say with a smile. "And you wanted to go to the appointment today?"

"And find out firsthand that I was right about having girls? Absolutely." He says and I smile.

"I'm going to take a shower." I say as I stand up. I head into the bathroom and turn the water on as hot as I can stand. Hopefully this will help me calm down. I don't take too long because I want to make something for breakfast as well.

"Sensei, please." Yui's voice again and I jump, bumping into the counter. I look around. Something has to be going on.

"Release." I whisper as I make a seal, very briefly flooding chakra throughout. No genjutsu is dispelled.

"Mina?" Shikamaru asks as he knocks on the door. "Are you okay?" I scrub my hair before I wrap my towel around my body. I open the door and smile up at him.

"I'm fine." I stand on my tip toes and kiss his cheek. "Your turn, stinky." I say and he makes a face at me. I smile before I go into our bedroom. I dress quickly and style my hair before I go to the kitchen and make a quick batch of pancakes. When Shikamaru steps out of the bathroom, I'm setting the plates on the table. He dresses quickly and comes to sit down.

"Thank you." He says with a smile. "I've missed your cooking." I squeeze his hand before I dig in. "You sure you're okay? You used chakra."

"I'm fine. Just making sure I've still got it, you know?" I ask with a wink. "I do. Your children are just hogging it all."

"I mean they're our kids, they're bound to be assholes aren't they?" He asks and I laugh. When we finish breakfast he does the dishes and then we head off to the hospital. He walks with his arm around me and I can't help the smile that spreads across my face.

"Minako, it's great to see you again. Lady Tsunade will be just a moment, there was a small emergency." The receptionist says as she sees us enter.

"No problem." I say as I walk over and sit down. "I'm not in any rush. I have a feeling I already know what I'm having."

"To be fair, you don't rush many places nowadays." Shikamaru says and I smack him across the chest. "That…hurt a bit." He says as he rubs the spot where he was directly impacted.

"I'll be back, I'm going to the restroom." I say as I stand up again. I head towards the bathroom, but then I move towards the record room. I poke my head in. "Hey Genji? Can you do me a favor?"

"As long as it doesn't involve you doing any strenuous activity, I can probably swing a favor. What do you need?" He asks as he looks up from the file that he'd been going over.

"I'd like Yui Imada's file. Subject is deceased. If you don't have time to do it now, could you bring it by my apartment when you get off?" I do my best to appear indifferent. She deserves more than that, but I can't risk seeming stressed out. Genji knows I'm having twins and so minimal stress is crucial.

"Yeah, that's fine." He says and I step into the room to start the process of signing it out. "I'll get that to you later."

"Thank you." I say with a smile. "See you." I go to the bathroom before I go back to the waiting area. Lady Tsunade walks up at the same time. "Excellent timing as usual, M'lady."

"Oh wow you've gotten big." Is all she says before she gestures for us to follow her. "I didn't expect to see you, Shikamaru. Hopefully they're in a good position for us to see the sex today."

"Fingers crossed." I say as I cross my fingers. We step into the examination room and I hop up onto the table with some effort. Shikamaru tries to keep the look of amusement off of his face, but I catch it and glare at him.

"Alright lovebirds, give it a rest. Let's see." Lady Tsunade says, assisting me in laying back. Her hands glow green as she begins checking me over. "You sure you want to know?"

"Lay it on me." I say and she runs her hands over my belly again. "The anticipation could literally kill me. Come on."

"It looks like the smaller of the two is female and the larger is….male. Congratulations." She says and I pump my fist.

"I never have to do this again if I don't want to!" I exclaim and Shikamaru laughs as he comes to stand right at my side. I take his hand and kiss it. "How does everything look?"

"You're in good shape. The connection to your reserve is stable and it doesn't look like it's taking anything unnecessarily fast. So you probably won't have much to refill once you've given birth."

"Good." I say with a nod. "Good on all three things." I let out a breath that I hadn't realized I'd taken. We wrap up and head out of the hospital. "Well, do you want to go and tell your parents?"

"After you tell me where else you went." He says easily and I sigh. "I'm your husband, you can tell me anything."

"I want to look over Yui's autopsy report." I say and his look changes. It's not civilian Shikamaru which he's been so much of lately. He's my husband, the shinobi. "It's nothing. Just let me do it to have the peace of mind. I've never looked at it before. You can check with records on that if you don't believe me."

"I just don't want you to see something and then you beat yourself up over it." He says and I shrug. "I know you do that every day anyway, but I don't want it to be any worse." He brushes my hair behind my ears. "It's getting long again."

"Yeah, I'm going to have Ino cut it for me." I say with a shrug. "Long hair is hardly practical anymore. With two little ones running around, I'm not going to have the time for it."

"You're not in this alone, you know. If you don't want to cut your hair you don't have to." He says and I pat his cheek.

"I'll think about it. I didn't know that you had a weird thing about my hair." I say and he gives me a look. "Anyway, let's go tell your parents what their grandchildren are going to be."

"Yeah, yeah." He says and then we begin walking that way. Shikaku should be home today. When we arrive, Shikamaru bypasses the front door in favor of going around the house and to the side yard. There we see the three people we were looking for enjoying the day.

"So do you guys wanna know what we're having?" I ask as I rub my belly. Shikaku's eyes move to me and he tries to act nonchalant. "I mean, if you'd rather be surprised."

"What are you waiting for? Tell us." Yoshino barks and I laugh. Shikamaru grins as he puts an arm around my shoulders.

"We're having a boy and a girl." My husband says and then he hugs me. His forehead is resting against the top of my head. I feel him shaking ever so slightly, so I squeeze him gently. I'm starting to feel emotional too.

"Big brother are you okay?" Ayako asks as she runs up to us. I put an arm around her. "What's wrong?"

"He's just really happy." I say, rubbing his back soothingly. "He'll be okay. We've got his back."

"Sensei? I need to talk to you." Haruka says as she walks up. "Sorry, I know I'm interrupting. But it's important."

"Not at all. What's going on?" I ask, stepping away from my husband and going into shinobi mode. I know my family will reprimand me. "I'll be back." I walk over to Haruka and lead her away.

"I keep…." She starts and then she stops, pursing her lips. "Something isn't right. I haven't had a chance to talk to Rai….but…"

"Have you been hearing her?" I ask and her eyes widen in shock as she looks up at me. "I'm investigating. Talk to Raiden about it, but try to do it away from prying ears. I don't know anything about the situation yet…if there even is a situation."

"Not too much stress, okay?" She says gently. "I want to know what's going on, but your health and the safety of your children is more important to me."

"I know." I say, just as gently. "Boy and girl, by the way." I say, rubbing my belly. She smiles. "I'd better get back." She nods before she goes back in the direction of her house. I approach the side yard again. "Girly questions." I say with a wave of my hand and a roll of my eyes. "A sensei's duty, you know? Answering questions one is too shy to ask her mother."

"Boy problems? Your advice was probably challenging him to a spar and beating him into a bloody pulp." Shikamaru says and I laugh.

"We were hardly teenagers when I did that to you." I say and that gets a laugh out of him. "By that point I had humiliated you one too many times and you didn't let me."

"How dare I." He says, smiling fondly. "Let's go out to lunch to celebrate. Our son and daughter."

"Shikadai and Miyuki?" I say, testing the names out loud for the first time. "I don't know. It was just a thought I'd had. If you don't like them, we can think of something else."

"No…those are perfect names." He says and Yoshino looks to the sky, blinking rapidly. "I'm kind of glad you unconsciously continued the trend." I raise an eyebrow. "Your mother was Mikoto. You're Minako. Now our daughter will be Miyuki. Kind of like you know, Shikaku and Shikamaru."

"Oh you're so cute!" I say, pinching his cheek. He jerks his head back, rolling his eyes as he does so. "I can't help it, I love you so much and your face is so pinchable."

"You're annoying." He says and that brings about a lot of laughter. "If I pinched your cheek, you'd snap my hand off."

"And promptly reattach it." I agree with a nod. "We've had this conversation before, Shikamaru. But anyway…how do you know it was subconscious?"

"There's this weird thing where I know my wife really well." He says and I roll my eyes. "Anyway," He looks to his parents.

"We're ready." Yoshino says with a smile. She's being uncharacteristically quiet and it has me concerned. "Don't worry…it's just always been my dream to see this. My own son…having children. You…happy. The both of you will be wonderful parents."

"We've only got one shot with this. I don't plan on having anymore." I say and then I sigh. "I'm fat, miserable, and nauseous at all times. Especially with as hot as it's been lately."

"Our apartment is constantly freezing." My husband mutters and I shoot him a look. "I just don't understand why it needs to be so cold if you plan on just huddling under a blanket pretending the outside world doesn't exist."

"I haven't seen my toes for a month and a half. I deserve to have the apartment at whatever temperature I like." I say, standing up a little straighter.

"You're far less intimidating with that belly." He says with a grin. "Though it's getting to a point where you could probably put someone's eye out."

"That's it. You're disinvited to lunch." I say, folding my arms across my chest. Shikaku shrugs and leads me, his wife, and daughter away.

"I'm the one who invited everyone to lunch. How can I be disinvited?" He asks and we don't stop walking.

"Fine. I invite Shikaku, Yoshino, and Ayako to lunch. You can have your own, mean lunch by yourself." I say and Ayako giggles. "Wouldn't want to accidentally put your eye out. You'd never see your beautiful wife again."

* * *

As I review the autopsy report, I see nothing out of the ordinary. She died from complications due to injuries sustained in battle. She had defensive wounds, which of course she did. I didn't train her to give up without one hell of a fight. Admittedly I've put this off for too long. It's been hard to read about her like she's a subject and not a person.

"What's it say?" Haruka asks as she paces back and forth in front of the table. "Just let me read it."

"It says what we already know. Nothing out of the ordinary. She died due to complications from injuries sustained in battle. There's nothing that suggests that she survived. The only thing that I can possibly think is that somehow…he was able to trick all of us. That whoever this was…wasn't Yui." I say as I sit back and rub my stomach. "I hate to think that she's being held captive by him, but there's nothing I can do right now. I'll get some feet on the ground, but you have to understand how truly terrified I am, Haruka. I don't want to lose anyone else because of this."

"I'll follow your lead." She says after a moment of quiet thought. "I trust you. What happened wasn't your fault. It was no one's fault but Orochimaru and so I trust you to lead me in the right direction. Of course, only after you've safely delivered and recovered from giving birth."

"Thank you." I say with a nod. "Have you had a chance to speak with Rai?" I ask and she shakes her head. He's been very self-reliant lately and I understand that. "Okay…I'll talk to him. I don't want him to try and make any rash decisions by himself." I'm going to have eyes on the both of them.

"Okay, Sensei." She says and I smile. "But really…please not to take on too much stress. You're super pregnant. How are you feeling?"

"I feel okay. My energy is dipping again. Tell your cousin and I'll stab you." I say, pointing at her.

"I'll ask my mom if she has any tips on dealing with energy drain. I'll pass along the death threat. Also, if you're done reviewing the report I can return it for you. So that you don't have to make any extra trips." She says and I smile. Then there's a knock at the door. "I'll get it." She goes over and opens it. "Lady Tsunade?"

"Haruka." My teacher nods at the girl as she comes inside. "I was checking on something when I discovered that you signed a specific file out.

"Everyone is making things so much easier on me." I say with a contented smile. "Yes…I checked out Yui's autopsy report. I'm not a hundred percent sure that it was her."

"And what makes you say that?" She asks, putting a hand on a cocked hip. She's very annoyed with me.

"Haruka and I have been experiencing….hallucinations. Hearing Yui's voice pleading for our help. So I decided to do some light digging." I say, standing my ground. "I plan to continue digging as much as I can in my condition."

"I know I can't stop you, so I'm going to offer to help you in any way I can." She says and I feel relieved. "Also, you look like shit. Are you taking the vitamins I recommended?"

"Always a sweetheart." I mutter darkly. "They make my stomach upset. So I haven't been." I say and she rolls her eyes.

"Eat a banana when you take them and it should help with that." She says and then she looks to Haruka.

"I'll go pick up some bananas for you. Don't even worry about it." She says and then she books it out of there.

"No more secret meetings." Lady Tsunade says very seriously. "I know what he took from you, but you are no match for Orochimaru by yourself. Especially with how much you have to lose now. Okay?"

"Okay." I agree with a nod and for a second I think she looks relieved. "I just can't stand the idea that he has her and he's experimenting on her."

"You should be prepared for the reality that she is actually dead, you know?" She says and I sigh.

"I don't like either option…but dead would be better than tortured. Why would he torture me with the idea that she's alive? It's been months. Why start now?" I ask and she sits down.

"Well…you've had time to sit with the idea. You've had time to nurse your wounds and so what better way to mess with someone than to rip open a healing wound?" She asks and I sigh. "Look, I know that it's hard to lose someone like that…but there's nothing you could have done. You're a talented medic, but you couldn't have done that alone. You would have needed a team of medics."

"I know." I say softly. "I know that logically it is impossible to save everyone…but why did it have to be Yui?"

"Everything happens the way that it does for a reason." She says and then I sigh. "What's that about?"

"Why did I think it would be safe to bring these children into this world?" I ask and then I feel tears welling up. "I knew that it wasn't safe. I knew that a world where Orochimaru existed wouldn't be a safe place for them. Why was I so stupid?"

"You weren't stupid." She says, slightly rolling her eyes. "Against my better judgement, you've come to be someone very important to me and so I'm going to do my best to make sure that you and your children are safe. That starts with you taking care of your body for them. Got it?"

"Yes ma'am." I say as I wipe the tears away. She smiles ever so slightly at me before she looks around.

"So Sakura tells me that you're moving soon. I expect you to let everyone else handle any lifting." She says and I sigh.

"Shikamaru has threatened to actually tie me to a chair if I so much as try to lift a spoon in the moving process. Which I told him that would do no good seeing as though I'm a kunoichi. Then he said he'd enlist the help of his family, taking turns using shadow possession on me until it was all done…Then I told him he had control issues." I say and that gets a good laugh out of her. "I won't lift, but I can still pack."

"Yes, but take it easy." She says and I salute. The door opens and Haruka walks back in with a bag.

"I bought some other fruits too. I know how much you like that kind of stuff." She says as she walks over and sets the bag on the counter. "I'll chop some of it up for you."

"I'll leave the two of you to it." Lady Tsunade says and then she nods to Haruka before she leaves.

"Did Shikamaru ask you to keep an eye on me?" I ask and Haruka ignores me. "Haruka." She offers an almost sheepish look.

"He said you've been emotional lately and it disconcerts him. Besides, it's also selfish because you can teach me medical theory." She says and I shake my head. "You're not just my sensei….you are technically family and we watch out for each other. I'm excited for Shikadai and Miyuki."

"Me too, kid." I say as I rub my stomach. "Excited for them to vacate the premises. Being pregnant sucks. I can't do anything fun."

"Your fun consists of training like a maniac. I think pregnancy is doing you some good." She says sassily and I stick my tongue out at her. "Real mature."

"You sound like your cousin." I say and then as if on cue, Shikamaru enters with a bouquet of flowers. "What are those?"

"My people call them flowers." He says dryly and I glare at them. "And I got them for you because I passed by the Yamanaka's on the way home."

"That's sweet." I say with a smile as I haul myself up. Haruka glares at me. "Haruka darling, are you staying for dinner?"

"If you want me to." She says with a shrug. "I can help cook. My mom says that I'm improving."

"I don't mind." I say as I go over and kiss Shikamaru on the cheek before I go to the kitchen. "Sorry it's not ready, we were discussing things."

"What sort of things?" He asks as he goes about putting the flowers in a vase for me. I grab the vegetables from the refrigerator.

"Well…Lady Tsunade agrees with us that something is funky, but until after I've had the babies, I'm sitting back and letting her handle things." I say as I get the second chopping board. Haruka is still cutting fruit and putting it into a bowl for me. "Will you put some of that nectar in with those?"

"Sure thing." She agrees as she grabs the bottle. I've been showing her around the kitchen quite a bit as of late.

"I'm glad." Shikamaru says and I glance over to see that so much tension has left him. Has he really been that worried? "That stress isn't good for you right now."

"Arguably, stress is never good, but I understand what you mean." I say gently. "Keep up with your training." I look to Haruka. "I know that you don't shirk, but your body needs to be a deadly weapon with or without actual weapons."

"Rai and I have been training together. He says even when I pull my punches it hurts." She says with a cocky smirk.

"I want you to be able to smash boulders with those hands of yours." I say and her eyes widen. "What? It's easy. I'll show you when I can."

"You're crazy. Did you know she was crazy before you married her?" She asks, looking to Shikamaru who hums his agreement.

"She's crazy, but she loves me so she really can't be all that bad." He says and I bump him with my hip. He laughs. "Watch it with that belly."

"Boy." I say sharply. I'm wielding the knife. "I may be pregnant, but I could still kick your ass."

"I think that's enough excitement." Haruka says with a laugh. "Shikamaru, get out of the kitchen. You're only causing trouble."

"It's my own damn kitchen." He grumbles and I shoot him a look. "Our own damn kitchen." A roll of his eyes. I smile…feeling normal is something that I cherish when I can have it…and I feel like as soon as these babies are born, normal will be out of the question. Not even because we'll be parents. I just have to start retraining my body.


	18. A Dream of Mine

**Well here we are, kiddos! Welcome to chapter 18! Things are changing and I'm hoping that you're liking the direction that I'm taking this story! Things should start to pick up again very soon! Thank you so much for your patience with me while I figure out where Mina's story takes her and her family next. I'm currently back in college and navigating that while trying to work through writer's block. Hopefully it won't be so long between this and the next chapter! Anyway, enjoy the read! I had fun writing some parts of this.**

* * *

"Am I being returned home now?" I ask, not even bothering to veil my annoyance. Choji at least looks a little apologetic.

"We just wanted to make sure that you didn't try to do too much work while getting the house ready." He says and I sigh.

"You guys do know that I'm not an idiot, right? I would never do anything to put my children in danger and that includes heavy lifting, organizing silverware, whatever you think may be dangerous." I say and he looks like he feels a little worse. "I'm sorry Choji, I'm just in a bad mood. It isn't your fault my husband is a worry wart."

"It's alright…but yes, you are allowed to go home now. Do you need any help getting up?" He asks and I sigh.

"If it were anyone but you, I would be giving you such a dirty look right now." I say as I hold out my hands. He smiles as he walks over and carefully helps me get up off of the couch.

"And that's why I got assigned this very important task." He says cheerfully and I shake my head. He hands me my jacket and I put it on before we head out of his apartment and we head in the direction of my new home. As annoyed by the whole process as I have been I am very excited about this. From the purple front door to the flower box underneath the window…it makes me feel normal for once which will be nice when I'm not working. Obviously since it's December, there won't be any flowers until the spring, but it's a nice thought. As we approach I see Ino standing watch outside the door. She grins as she sees me and she waves.

"You're even bigger than I last saw you this morning!" She greets cheerfully and I flip her off. She laughs.

"I'm six months pregnant with twins, you can shut your mouth." I say as I rub my belly. "What is that husband of mine doing? Having you stand watch."

"I don't know what you're talking about. He's not even here." She says haughtily with a toss of her ponytail. "Now come on, I'll show you where things are. I hope that I unpacked everything to your standards."

"I wouldn't trust anyone else." I say and she leads the way inside. Choji follows and I feel my jaw drop as I see everyone.

"A surprise housewarming party? Shouldn't Shikamaru be on the receiving end of this as well?" I ask with a chuckle as I allow her to help me out of my coat. I'm glad that I actually look decent today.

"Well…we all knew that we'd only be able to surprise one of you." Yoshino says as she walks over and gives me a hug. "How are you feeling today?"

"Fat, tired, and above all else…grateful. Thank you so much for coming, everyone." I say, trying to keep my emotions back.

"Wha!? Minako!? What's wrong!? Are you going into labor!? I've never seen you cry before!" Naruto exclaims, freaking out and Sakura punches him in the arm.

"Pregnancy hormones, ya big idiot." She says and Hinata laughs daintily. I really envy her as I always do. Her belly is so much smaller than mine…they don't hassle her as much as they do me. Everything in here looks wonderful though…the atmosphere is as warm as I wanted it to be which is only enhanced by being surrounded by my friends and family.

"I'll be fine I've got about thr-" I stop short as I notice my eldest brother standing at the back of the small crowd. He's been gone for two months now. He smiles and my tears are unstoppable. He crosses the room and pulls me into a gentle hug.

"Ino was right, you are huge." He says and I smack his arm but keep hugging him none the less. "Your home is lovely."

"I had nothing to do with it." I say dryly. "But thank you…now…this is a party. Where is the food?" Shikamaru laughs. "You, husband, can silence yourself. Don't think I haven't noticed you gaining sympathy weight."

"That's a low blow." He says as he pats his stomach. "Food's in the dining room though. Everyone is more than welcome to help themselves…but watch your fingers, my wife is a ravenous beast."

"Your wife is carrying your son and daughter, you should be nice." Shikaku says and I give him the snottiest look I can manage.

"Mina has always had a ravenous appetite…she's just more vicious now. Motherly instincts make her more like a wolf than a person." Sasuke says as he walks up and puts his arm around me. "Come on, your brothers will protect you from your mean old husband."

"She's older than me." Shikamaru mutters and I refrain from flipping him the bird….then Kimi pops up and I burst out laughing. "You were just thinking about flipping me off weren't you?"

"Kimi has the best timing ever. What's wrong?" I ask my summon, holding out my arm so that she can land.

"Nothing's wrong, I came to deliver a gift to you on behalf of my people." She says and then she bows her head. I open the canister on her back and remove a storage scroll. Shikamaru walks over and I hand it to him. He unseals a beautifully knit afghan. How sparrows can make afghans….I won't question.

"Kimi…it's beautiful. Thank you so much." I say, reaching into the pouch at my hip and taking out a small sachet of bird seed. I tuck it into her bag. "For the trip home, but you are more than welcome to stay."

"I would love to stay, milady, but I've got important work to do." She says and I smile. "It was lovely to see everyone, goodbye!" She chirps and then she's gone.

"Now food." I say, walking towards the dining room. A line is formed behind me and then we all mill about the house, listening to music on a low volume. The normalcy of the situation is fantastic. Then…I feel sad. After I have these children nothing is going to be normal again. Not even the way it would normally be considered. The appetite that I'd had before vanishes and I feel sick. "Shikamaru, can you help me up?"

"Of course." He says, immediately setting his own plate down, abandoning whatever conversation he was having and coming to my side. He easily lifts me out of the chair and I walk swiftly to the bathroom where I get sick. He stays by my side, making sure my pony tail doesn't fall forward. When I'm confident that I'm finished, he helps me stand and he even wets a cloth the wipe the sweat from my forehead. "What's wrong?"

"Someday…our daughter's life is going to be at such a great risk that it is my destiny to change her fate. What lies ahead for us so terrible that this is going to happen? Why…why can't I just enjoy my life as it is?" I ask and he kisses my forehead.

"As much of a drag as it is…you're special, Minako…and I'm not even just saying that because I love you. You're a talented shinobi and that paints a target on your back. Yes…Miyuki will be at risk someday, but you have saved every single person you're meant to save to date. Including a few of the individuals at our home today. I and everyone in this house has your back, no matter what." He says and I rest my forehead against his chest. "Let's get you something to settle your stomach." I smile and pat his cheek before I lead the way out.

"They lied about morning sickness." I say, trying to laugh it off. My eyes scan the room and I note right away that both Ino and Sasuke don't believe me. Of course Sasuke would feel my distress. They'll wait until later to corner me.

"So what's going on?" Sasuke asks. Everyone but he, Sakura, Ino, and Choji have left. "I may not always bring it up, but I still feel your distress."

"Alright…I suppose I should come clean." I say after I take a sip of my tea. Shikamaru rests his hand on my knee, reassuringly. "So…you all know of my freaky premonitions thing."

"Yeah…there's like a list or whatever of the people that you're meant to save. You haven't had one of those dreams in a long time." Sasuke says and I look at my hands, they're shaking.

"That's because I know who the last person I'm meant to save is." I say and then as if they know, the babies are growing restless. "It's Miyuki…I've known since before Shikamaru and I were even married."

"How come you never mentioned it?" Sakura asks as she sits on my other side. "You've gone through this whole pregnancy especially scared…"

"You all are worried enough about me as is, I didn't want to create anymore problems. And anyway, in the dream she was a genin. So we've got years before we have to worry about this…I think I was just a little overwhelmed by the normalcy of today. I mean…we're grown…our lives are changing forever. We're going to be parents. Imagine me as a stay at home mom…."

"That won't last long." Shikamaru says and I raise an eyebrow at him. "I know you. You'll be back at it in three years."

"Whatever you need, we're here to support you." Ino says sincerely. "I mean…I owe you so much for saving my dad…and making me the godmother of your children…"

"And besides, you know that Sarada won't let any harm befall her cousins." Sasuke says and I smile at him. "Seriously, Ino and Choji, you guys need to hold off on having children. This is kind of my dream right now."

"About that…" Ino says and my eyes widen. "Oh no! No! I just mean…well Sai proposed to me and I said yes."

"That guy is a major weirdo, Ino." Sasuke says and I chuck my empty tea cup at him. He catches it.

"Don't be rude. They love each other." I say, giving him a disapproving look. "Congratulations, my love. As long as he realizes that we're each other's soul mates."

"He doesn't understand, but he respects it." She says solemnly and I laugh. "But it's cute that you dream about that, Sasuke."

"Ever since he found out I was having twins." I say with a shake of my head. "We've got a shika prepped for the trio though, so at your own pace…but if it happens, it happens." I shrug and then frown.

"What's wrong?" Shikamaru asks, putting his arm around my shoulders. That's a move reserved for making me feel safe.

"What if Shikadai doesn't want to be a shinobi? I don't want to force this life on either of them." I'm starting to feel emotional. "Damn hormones." I look up at the ceiling and blink.

* * *

"Shikamaru…the babies are coming." I say in the quiet darkness of our bedroom. He sits up, immediately aware. "It's early labor, but we should go to the hospital."

"Alright." He says, mechanically getting out of bed and putting some clothes on. He shoulders my hospital bag and helps me into my coat before we head out. He carries me to the hospital like a real shinobi. Once we're in a room and I've been checked, I can see that he's starting to actually wake up and that he's scared.

"I'm fine for now…they probably won't even be here until tomorrow. Why don't you go and let your parents know?" I suggest, subtly breathing through a contraction.

"I'm not leaving you." He says, sounding almost annoyed. "I'm going to see if I can get someone to send a message for me." He kisses my forehead and then leaves the room. Tears fill my eyes then. Itachi appears in my room using body flicker technique.

"Itachi." I'm almost ashamed at how pathetic my voice sounds. He comes to my side and pulls me into his arms. "I'm scared."

"You're going to be fine." He says in the reassuring way. Another contraction hits and I take an unsteady breath. "You're going to get through this and you will be a wonderful mother. I can stay with you…where did Shikamaru go?"

"He went to have a message sent to his parents." I say, rubbing my stomach. He sits on the edge of my bed and holds my hand. "They're going to get here perfectly okay right? Miyuki is going to be fine…Shikadai is going to be born with a ponytail."

"And I can stay with you the whole time if you need me to." He promises as he smooths my hair back. "It isn't very conventional, but whatever you need I will give it to you."

"A hand to hold for right now is good." I say quietly. "Shikamaru…is acting weird." He raises his eyebrow in question. "He snapped at me."

"Usually it's the other way around when a couple is having children." He says and I shake my head. "Do you want me to talk to him?"

"Are you asking me if I want you to threaten my husband?" I ask with a bit of a laugh. "No…it's fine. Please just stay with me." A crack of thunder makes me jump and he puts an arm around me. I lay my head against his shoulder.

"You used to be afraid of thunder when you were a little girl." He says off-handedly. I feel the pout.

"It's not so much that I was afraid of it. Loud, sudden noises bother me." I say and then I breathe through my next contraction. "I thought that you weren't going to be back for a while?"

"I accomplished my mission ahead of schedule…on my way home I sensed your chakra and so I came to make sure everything was alright." He says and I smile. "And everything is alright."

"Indeed it is." I say, looking down at my bulbous stomach. "You know…I think I may miss this…having them all to myself."

"You're not going to miss the physical restrictions." He says and I laugh. Shikamaru comes back then. He's surprised to see Itachi.

"I sent messages to my parents and Sasuke. Ino was bringing in a teammate from a mission. She's going to run home and then she'll be back. And before you ask, I did insist that she get some rest first." He supplies me with the information and I shake my head.

"I'm going to go and find some…ice chips for you?" Itachi says after a moment of thought. He gives my hand a light squeeze before he stands and goes to leave the room.

"While you're at it, get that foot you're favoring checked out." I say and he turns and kisses my forehead before he leaves the room. "What is it with my brothers and neglecting their injuries?"

"Nine times out of ten it's because you're involved." My husband says as he sits beside me. "I'm sorry for snapping at you."

"I forgive you." I say as I breathe through a contraction. "Just don't let it happen again." He smiles as he takes my hand. "Do you think I'm going to be a good mother?"

"No…" He says and my heart begins to shatter. "You're going to be a phenomenal mother." I punch him in the shoulder, hard. He laughs, leaning away as he massages where I hit him. "It's good to see that your strength hasn't gone away."

"I'll always be strong enough to kick your ass." I say dryly and he smiles, putting his arm around me.

"We'll be old…grandchildren running around and I'll say something stupid and you'll send them off to play hide and seek while you remind me of my manners." He says, getting that daydream look in his eye that I love. I feel another contraction and I close my eyes and breathe through it.

"It feels as though I'm progressing rather quickly." I say and I see that he's concerned as I open my eyes.

"Why don't you lay down and try to get comfortable? I'll find a nurse." He says as he stands up. I shake my head, taking his hand.

"I don't want to be alone right now." I say and he brings my hand to his lips and kisses it. "Please."

"Alright, but let's get you more comfortable anyway." He says as he helps me stand up. He pulls the blanket back and then he helps me get situated before he sits on the bed beside me with his arm around me. It isn't long before Itachi comes back with the ice chips, but he also has Yoshino in tow with him.

"How are you doing?" She asks as she comes over and pushes my hair back out of my face.

"I'm doing alright. Contractions are bull shit." I say and she smiles. "I'm….a little scared. I'll be honest. I delivered a baby roadside once. It was not fun."

"You have the fortune of being at a hospital. Everything will be fine." She says confidently. "And we'll be here for you throughout the ordeal. Do you need anything right now?"

"No, I think I'm okay." I say and she smiles. Itachi moves a chair over to the side of the bed for her. "Did you get your foot checked out?"

"I'm going now. I'll be back when I'm finished." He promises, giving my hand a light squeeze before he walks out of the room. I let out a sigh.

"Brothers are annoying." I say and Shikamaru chuckles as he kisses my forehead. "What's so funny? They've been a pain literally my entire life. Sharing a womb with Sasuke was annoying."

"And you remember that?" He asks and I look up at him very seriously. I don't remember it well…

"Vaguely. I remember feeling annoyed and then lonely because he was born first. That's about it though." I say and he kisses my forehead again. "I think…." I feel my stomach. "Shikadai is in position to come first. But I could be wrong. I'll be the first to admit babies haven't been my focus in my studies over the years."

"But you do know a thing or two." Yoshino says and I shrug. "Medics always make the worst patients. That much I do know."

"Lady Tsunade is going to be the one helping me through this and I'm not keen on talking back to her anymore. She wouldn't hit a pregnant woman, but she's still scary. She might make me cry." I say and Shikamaru laughs.

"I'll never forget the time you called her an idiot." He says and I glance up at him. "You were fearless."

"I've never been fearless." I say as I close my eyes. "I'm just always more afraid of something greater than what most people would normally be afraid of….Except for this. I know that this is going to hurt."

"Like nothing you've ever experienced." Yoshino says gently. "So save your strength, because you will need it for when you push."

"That's why I'm glad you're here…you won't sugar coat things for me." I say and she chuckles. This is going to be an experience.

* * *

I sit back on my hospital bed with my daughter in my arms. Her brother lays sleeping in his own hospital bassinet, but she is awake and for now it is just the two of us. Shikamaru went to get me something to drink. Intelligent dark eyes stare back at me and I sigh softly.

"Something tells me that you and I are going to be alone together quite a lot…your brother already seems to be a lot like his father." I say to her and she sighs, closing her eyes.

"Knock knock?" Kurenai says as she knocks on the door frame. I look up and see her and Asuma.

"Come in." I say with a smile. "Shikamaru should be back soon, he went to get me something to drink." Kurenai walks over to the bed and smiles down at Miyuki.

"You did a good job. You snuck your eyes into her genetic makeup." She says and I can't help but laugh.

"The Uchiha blood has to be good for something." I say with a light shrug. "Should they decide it's what they want, they will be strong shinobi."

"Given who their parents are, I don't see how they wouldn't." Asuma says and I smile. "So when are you getting back to work?"

"Very funny." I say dryly. "You hear that, Miyuki? Your Uncle Asuma thinks he's funny. Your extended family is full of comedians." She smiles. "They're your cousin Mirai's parents."

"It's so nice to meet you, Miyuki." Kurenai says, causing my daughter to smile again. "We love you very much." I hear the start of Shikadai crying and my eyes shift to him as I go to get up. "I can get him, if you don't mind."

"She gets fussy when she's put down…" I say and she's already on her way to the bassinet. She picks up Shikadai and rocks him. She's holds her pinky to his mouth and he doesn't take hold. "He probably just realized that his sister was too far away from him."

"Already so protective." She says as she moves to the bedside again. He settles down once they're closer and closes his eyes again.

"He really is though." I say with a smile. "I guess I was the same way with Sasuke. I've always been overprotective of him."

"Kenta once recounted the threats you made towards him when he tried to defect..." Asuma says and I nod.

"I'm not used to being injured and so I may have threatened his ability reestablish the clan." I say with a light shrug. "I was also angry that he was trying to kill his best friend."

"So you put yourself in the way." He says with a chuckle and a shake of his head. "You've always exasperated Shikamaru."

"It's not my fault he cared so much." I shrug again. "I feel like I was preparing him for having a daughter someday. She will exasperate him…in my dream she had that look in her eye."

"What look? Stubborn and unreasonable?" Shikamaru asks as he walks back in carrying a couple of cans.

"At least I'll understand you, Sweetheart." I coo at my daughter causing her to smile. Kurenai moves out of the way and Shikamaru places the cans on the table that will move under the bed so that I don't have to sit up as much.

"When I left I thought you were going to take a nap." He says as he takes Miyuki. "We need to train her out of being so fussy when no one is holding her."

"Says who? If she is uncomfortable, it is my duty to comfort her. That's what a mother does." I say, lifting my chin a fraction of an inch. "They're a day and a half old, I'll do what I like."

"Yes, but you need to rest also." He says and I know it's mostly because he's still worried…because they almost lost me. "I've got two extra sets of hands here to help now, so just sit back and relax…You're hogging the babies."

"Hogging the babies." Asuma chuckles. "It's great isn't it? When I first met Mirai I couldn't get enough of her."

"Our little girl has you wrapped around her finger." Kurenai says with a smirk. "All she has to do is tell you to jump."

"Whatever she wants." He grins and I can't help but smile. And to think…he could have died and he never would have had this relationship with his daughter. Because I exist, Mirai has a great dad.

"Speaking of which, where is she?" I ask as I open the canned apple juice and take a drink.

"Ino is looking after her while we visit. You're still recovering and I know nothing would stop you from trying to go about business as usual." Kurenai says and then her eyes shift to Shikamaru. "Well, not nothing...but I'm not one to cause marital disputes."

"He tries to tell me what to do." I say with a sigh. "When will he learn again that it won't work? He used to be trained so well."

"Husbands." She agrees with a roll of her eyes. "They don't understand strong kunoichi such as ourselves."

"Not at all." I agree. "How do you feel now that they're here Shikamaru? They're for real now."

"I mean they've been for real since you had to buy new clothes." He teases me and I glare at him. "Honestly? I feel like the luckiest guy on the planet." He's sitting down at the foot of the bed, letting Miyuki hold onto his finger. I feel tears prick at the corner of my eyes and I quickly take another drink, trying to conceal them. "I didn't imagine our family would grow this fast, but I'm glad that it did. With any luck our kids will be as close as you and Sasuke and so I know that they'll never be lonely even if they are sad."

"And I'll do everything in my power to make sure that they are never nearly as sad as we were." I say gently. "They have an army of people fighting to make sure that never happens."

"They do." Asuma agrees and I smile. "Two is going to be quite the work out. You're not going to get any sleep."

"Don't make me laugh. You act like I slept like a normal human being before." I say and Shikamaru sighs. For the longest time he didn't realize that I would wake up shortly after we'd fallen asleep for the night and go back to working on whatever it was I was working on before bed. "I've drank coffee black since I was eleven years old."

"I'm going to hide the coffee maker. So that way you'll have to sleep at some point or another." My husband says and I glare at him.

"I mean if you want a tired and cranky wife, be my guest." I say with a shrug. Kurenai chuckles. "I've been good about not having too much caffeine throughout this entire pregnancy."

"You have." He agrees and I sigh. "I'm proud of you." He means for more than just the caffeine thing...

"We should get going." Kurenai says as she glances at the clock. I hold out my arms for my son and she hands him over. "Congratulations…they're beautiful."

"I think we'll keep them." I agree with a nod and she chuckles as she gives me a one-armed hug. "Bring Mirai with you next time! I'm excited for her to meet them."

"We will." Asuma promises, giving me a nod. "Oh…and I heard a rumor that Kenta was back in town."

"Send him my way if you run into him." I say and he nods. The two leave then. "He's gonna be pissed. Though it's his fault he's been so absent. There's no way I could've known where to send word that I was having kids."

"He'll just be happy to meet them." My husband says and I hum. "You're tired, let me take Shikadai and you can take a nap." He says as he stands up and holds out his other arm. I begrudgingly hand over our son and smile at him holding the both of them. "This could get to be a work out."

"If you start curling our babies, I will hop up out of this bed and kill you." I say with a laugh and he snickers.

"I've seen you waddle to the bathroom. You'd never catch me." He says and that earns him a dark look. "Oh come on, I'm joking."

"Mess around, mess around. Soon you won't be around." I say just as darkly. "You'd think you'd be nicer to me since I just gave you two children." I sigh and lay back.

"That's never been our thing, has it?" He asks and I chuckle. "I love you." I smile and sigh a content sort of sigh.

"Good, because I love you too and it'd be a waste of both of our time if we didn't." I say and he shakes his head as he goes over to put our now-sleeping children into their bassinets.

"Go to sleep." He orders lightly and I hold out my arms to him. He smiles as he comes over and sits in the space that I've created for him. I wrap my arms around him and curl up against his side. I slow my breathing and go about the process of trying to trick myself into falling asleep.

* * *

I'm kicking my foot anxiously. The twins are off getting some standard tests done and I'm supposed to just sit here and wait for them. Of course I could use this time to catch up on some sleep, but that really isn't my style. I look up as someone leans against the doorframe.

"Sensei!?" I exclaim, hopping out of bed which was a mistake. I gingerly walk over and meet my former sensei for a hug.

"Take it easy, Kid." He says with a chuckle. "Sarutobi sent me your way….Congratulations."

"Thanks." I say with a grin. "Twins. Can you believe it? Miyuki and Shikadai…they're beautiful. I hope you can stay long enough to see them."

"We'll have to see." He says with a smile. "Is that husband of yours around anywhere?" I smile and nod.

"Yes. He should be back soon. He went to get us something to eat from the cafeteria." I say as I go back over and sit down. "You'll have to forgive me. Childbirth is exhausting."

"By all means. I'm just happy to see you." He says brightly but then a serious look falls across his face. "And…I wish that I could have seen the kids, but there's something important Minako…" He takes out a kunai and sets it on the tray beside my bed. Odd. I raise an eyebrow in question. "In less than two minutes…a technique is going to overtake me and I'm going to try and kill you. I need you to kill me before I do that."

"No." I say, my heartrate picking up. "Quit fooling around." He shakes his head. I focus the chakra into my hands in an analysis jutsu.

"Minako. Do it. Just kill me. I'd rather you kill me than have any chance of me hurting you." He says and I shake my head.

"We can call for help." I reach over to press the call button but he grabs my wrist with bruising force.

"Do it now. I can't fight it much longer." He says through his teeth. "Orochimaru…got to us. In different ways."

"Us? Who is us? What ways?" I ask, trying to shake from his grip. With much effort he lets go, but then he is drawing his sword. I cry out, but instinct guides my hand and I deflect his blow.

"Now!" He shouts, going for another blow. "I won't be able to stop until I kill you!" Tears fill my eyes as I duck and plunge the kunai into his chest. It pierces his heart and he falls. I fall with him, holding him. I hear feet running in the hall. Shikamaru and a couple of medical-nin stand in the doorway.

"Get the Hokage." My voice is dark with my anger. I can't look down at myself. I can't see myself covered in my sensei's blood. "And get a healer-nin. I'm done letting my body heal on it's own. I don't have time for it." Shikamaru walks over and gently moves Kenta to the side before he helps me stand.

"Come on." He says, leading me to the bathroom. He closes the door behind us and he carefully removes the hospital issued night gown and tosses it into the soiled linens bin. He wets a wash cloth and gently cleans my skin. I hadn't realize that I was shaking. "I brought you some clothes from home." He explains, removing a scroll from his pouch and unsealing the clothes. He helps me into them before he pulls me into his arms, holding my head against his chest. After a moment, there is a knock at the door.

"The twins." I say, concerned. I move, opening the door and see that a sheet has been draped over Kenta.

"We're moving you to another room for now, Mrs. Nara." A pleasant-faced medical-nin says in a soothing tone. "If you'll have a seat in the chair, we'll take you there right away. There are some nin who would like to have a word with you waiting. But we will get you settled in first."

"Okay." I agree as I carefully walk over and sit down in the wheelchair. Shikamaru keeps pace with us as we head to the new room. It's in a more secure end of the hall. It is nearer to the nurse's station. She helps me into the new bed and she situates the covers over me and pours a cup of tea.

"Do you need anything else, ma'am?" She asks and I look around. All of the things that I need for the babies are here. I shake my head. "If you're ready, then, I'll send them in."

"That's fine." Shikamaru agrees with a nod. "Thank you." She bows her head slightly before she leaves the room. Shikamaru stands beside me, holding my hand. A few moments later Inoichi enters the room with Kakashi and Shikaku. It makes sense that my father-in-law would be here this quickly…he works so close to the hospital.

"Minako, if you don't mind…I would like to see what happened." Inoichi says and I nod. I realize now that I'm in shock. That's why I'm having trouble forming words. I don't know what it was right after it happened….but... I close my eyes as Inoichi pulls a chair up. Shikamaru keeps a hold of my hand. As Inoichi activates the technique, I feel as he enters my mind. I try to focus into the incident, but he honestly does most of the work. Tears well up and fall regardless of the fact that they're closed. As the memory finishes, Inoichi pats my other hand. "Okay…so it appears as though Miyamoto was being controlled by some sort of technique…He was aware of it, but for whatever reason he couldn't stop."

"He told me to kill him before he attacked." I'm able to speak finally. "I…tried to get him to let us help. So that death wasn't the only answer, but then he attacked." Shikamaru brings my hand to his lips gently. "So I killed him in self-defense."

"He also mentioned that there were other people who were affected as well. In different ways." Inoichi says, brow furrowed.

"Where are the twins?" I ask gently, looking to Shikamaru. He looks to his father who nods and goes out of the room. "They're okay, right?"

"They're fine." Kakashi says evenly. He walks to the window and looks out. "Even as it stands…I don't believe that Orochimaru truly aims to kill you now."

"No." I say, shaking my head. "He wants to torment me. As if killing Yui wasn't enough."

"We're going to do everything that we can to keep everyone safe." Shikamaru says and I find it hard to pull even a small smile to my lips. My head whips in the direction of the door as I hear wheels in the hallway. I see Shikaku pushing one of the basinets and a medical-nin pushes the other. They park the basinets and I crawl out of bed and go over to them. Miyuki immediately begins to cry as she sees me and I pick her up. I lift Shikadai into my other arm and I hold them to me. I immediately feel less anxious. "I'll take him." Shikamaru says, lifting our son into his arms.

"It's okay. Mommy's okay." I coo as I rock Miyuki. Shikadai is sleeping…which brings a smile to my face. I take a deep breath to calm myself further and I'm able to sooth her. I do feel better with them in my sight, but I know that this is only a momentary thing. I'm going to have to get back into the field sooner than I thought because that man isn't going to stop until I destroy him. "Momma and Daddy won't let anything happen to you. We'd tear down mountains to make you safe."

"Your mom would use her bare hands." Shikamaru adds and I fit myself against his side. This action used to make me feel safe, but clearly I'm the only one who can make me safe.

"We'll be in touch, Minako." Kakashi says, capturing my attention. "Hospital security has been increased."

"Okay." I say with a nod. He and Inoichi leave. Shikaku stays and I feel tears welling up in my eyes again. "You know what this means."

"You think you have to give yourself less time to adjust to motherhood." Shikamaru says and I look up at him. "We don't have the sort of relationship where I have any illusions of forbidding you from doing anything…but we need to make sure our children are taken care of and the best people to do that is us while we are here."

"And you know that Yoshino and I are here to support you." Shikaku says and then I hear someone running down the hall. It's Sasuke. "And of course your brothers." My brother enters the room and the worried crease in his forehead instantly leaves.

"Are you okay?" He asks and I sigh, closing my eyes. He walks over and hugs me while gently placing a hand on Miyuki's head. "Were they in there when it happened?"

"Thankfully no." I say, leaning against him. "How is Sakura doing? I didn't scare her, did I?"

"You would be worried about someone else at a time like this." He says shortly. "She and Sarada are fine."

"Don't be short. You'll upset your niece." I chastise him. "She's very sensitive to emotional atmospheres."

"Don't suppress your own emotions. That probably will upset her more." He says and I stick my tongue out at him as I stand upright. "We'll look after you, Mina. I'll stay here when Shikamaru can't."

"You have your own family to attend to." I say, waving him off and he gives me a stern look not unlike one that I would give him.

"Just because my family has grown doesn't make you any less to me. Just like I know that if I or Sakura needed you, you would be there within the instant." He says and I sigh. "Whatever you need, Mina. You know that."

"I know. It's…been a rough day. Because now I have to figure out who else…wait no." I say and my heart drops into the pit of my stomach. "The boys. That's why they're gone…I'd kind of assumed that maybe they were…you know…" I gently rock Miyuki. "But he has them…or they're somewhere in the world…awaiting orders to attack so that I have to kill two more of the people who are most important to me."

"This is such a drag. What is his problem?" Shikamaru asks, sighing in his irritation. "Why won't he just leave you alone?"

"He's always wanted us." Sasuke says darkly. "Ever since that first day in the Forest of Death."

"And all this time he's just been playing with us…specifically me, trying to get us to break. Trying to make us go crazy…but he underestimates love." I say with a small smile. "I may be tired, I may be insanely depressed…but I will never lose to him. We will destroy him."

"We will." Sasuke agrees with a single nod. "But you need your rest first. Maybe someday they will fight alongside us."

"Not near that lunatic, they won't." I say sternly, my eyebrows shooting up. "I oughta smack you for even suggesting such a thing. I don't even want Shikamaru within ten miles of him."

"You know…I tend to agree with Mina on this one." Shikamaru says and I smile. We are different in a lot of ways, but sometimes there are some things that we are ridiculously against. Though I wouldn't count this as something that's ridiculous. "But I do agree with him that you need to rest. So just do that for now. Trust us to take care of you for now."

"You know that I trust you to take care of me. But do you know what it would do to me if one of you died protecting me?" I ask, closing my eyes.

"The same thing it would do to me if you did the same thing." Shikamaru says and I open my eyes and look up at him. "Look, I knew that being with you would have challenges and dangers and I've done all the work I need to do to be prepared."

"And I'm your brother, I'm here whether you want me to be or not." Sasuke says and I feel tears filling my eyes.

"Anyway. What's his end goal? What's the next step if he does get one of us? Obviously he doesn't need a strong body just to survive anymore. He found an appropriate vessel." I say, trying to distract myself from my emotion.

"Could he be after the Sharingan?" Shikamaru ponders out loud. "Because there are three Uchiha in the world who have it…and now two more potential."

"Well technically three, but the third isn't born yet." I say and then I hum. "Perhaps. I need to figure something out first…I've been working on it throughout the pregnancy, but I've come up empty. But I don't think Yui is dead." I see the look of doubt in Shikamaru's face.

"Explain." Sasuke says, not counting me out yet. "And then I'll decide if you're crazy." I rock Miyuki gently.

"Well…Haruka, Raidan, and I have all experienced…the easiest way to explain it is hallucinations. And I know what you're thinking…trauma can cause that sometimes, but we've brought in Lady Tsunade to consult and she doesn't think we're crazy so you can stop looking at me with pitying eyes, Shikamaru Nara." I feel angry, but I tone it back.

"I'm not looking at you with pity…I just think that the three of you witnessed something horrible…and I know that it messed with you very badly. I just don't want you to torture yourself with this and then be disappointed if she is actually dead." He says and I shake my head.

"The autopsy report doesn't match up. Believe me. I would rather she were dead instead of a prisoner of that lunatic, but the communication…the report not matching up." I shake my head. "I have more evidence, but my brain is a little scrambled right now. Yoshino calls it mom brain. She warned me about it." I say absently.

"We'll sit down and talk about this more once you've had some rest…but you've had a bad day…so you should concentrate on getting rest." Sasuke says gently. "And I'll start doing some digging too. Any advice on where to start?"

"Maybe you can help Haruka. Jonin clearance is better than chunin clearance." I say with a nod. "She's been trying to look into higher level replacement jutsu recently."

"Okay. I'll see what I can do." He agrees and I smile. "Can I hold her?" He asks and I smile and nod as I hand over Miyuki to my brother. Shikaku is holding Shikadai, standing by the window and rocking him. "Why don't you lay down?"

"Because I feel like I should be doing something, so laying down isn't comfortable." I say and Shikamaru gets a look on his face.

"Well you can finally lay on your stomach again." He says and I laugh. "You don't sleep right anyway unless you have your hand under a pillow, ready to pull a kunai."

"I hope if you plan on co-sleeping there will be no weapons in the bed." Shikaku quips from his quiet spot.

"Their first words will be senbon and kunai." I say dreamily as I sit down on the bed at least. "In my head I'm seeing it as Shikadai will keep the tradition of using the Nara family techniques and Miyuki will be a close-up fighter. So that they'll make a good team like their father and I."

"Hey, we're both close up fighters and we make a good team." Sasuke says almost defensively and I give him a look.

"When I fight alongside you, I turn mid to long range to back you up and watch for outside attacks." I say and he scoffs.

"I thought you just liked setting people on fire." He says and that has Shikaku laughing. My head whips in his direction.

"It's true. You do have a tendency for that." He defends his laughter and I feel my eye twitch.

"You're the one who burned a guy during your preliminary match during the chunin exams." Shikamaru says with a shake of his head. "I thought you were crazy then."

"Now you guys are just picking on me. Need I remind you that I just gave birth to two beautiful babies?" I ask, appealing to their emotions.

"You did." Sasuke agrees with a nod. "Thank you. I love my niece and nephew. A very good gift."

"She has always been a superb gift giver." Shikamaru agrees and I roll my eyes. "Like my birthday last year? Want to know what she said to me?"

"This is going to be good." Sasuke says to Miyuki. "What did she say to you?" Shikaku turns to pay better attention.

"We woke up that morning and she asked me if I wanted my gift and I said sure. She told me that my gift was that she married my ass and to go make her some damn breakfast." He says and I burst out laughing.

"I forgot about that. Oh my god." I say, laughing myself into tears. "Then I gave you a gift that was an autographed picture of myself."

"Then the real gift was pretty nice, I'll admit." He says with a shake of his head. "A new set of kunai."

"Sounds about right. My birthday gift from the age of ten until she moved in with you was that she didn't poison my meals." Sasuke says and I snicker.

"I miss when things were more simple." I say with a sigh. "Can you guess what Miyuki and Shikadai's gifts will be?"

"That you gave birth to them?" Shikaku asks and I snicker again. "You have to admit, that's a pretty good gift."

"I'm one hell of a gift giver." I say with a shrug. I shouldn't feel this normal. Death shouldn't be this normal…but for me, I guess it is.


	19. Keep Talking, Sweetheart

_**Hello everyone! I just wanted to give you a bit of an update before the chapter begins! First of all, I wanted to apologize for how bad I've been about updating. When I started writing this story I was in a completely different place in life. I was dating someone and it had been a long term relationship and I came to associate Minamaru's relationship with my own even though I've realized that it's nothing like it. So sometimes it's hard for me to work on this story because it brings up happy memories from that relationship that make me nostalgic even though I'm doing much better without that person now! I'm not quitting this story because I love Minamaru so much! I'm feeling much better about the direction of this story and I hope that you stick with me through figuring stuff out! Second, like I mentioned in the last chapter I am back in school and so that takes up a great deal of time as well. I'm doing the best that I can! So that's it, on to chapter nineteen!**_

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"I don't think that you guys should spar…that could be dangerous for everyone in the area." Haruka says dryly as she holds Shikadai in order to comfort him. Miyuki is currently asleep in the bassinet.

"Who better to test where I stand in my physical shape than my husband who has, for his whole life, been in competition with me?" I ask as I fall into a stance. It's Uchiha in nature.

"I've never seen this stance before." She says and Shikamaru smirks ever so slightly. "What's that?"

"It's Uchiha. She only uses this when she really wants to win against me." He says and I feel indignant.

"Excuse me? In case you forgot, I am an Uchiha. You're lucky I took your name." I say and his smirk grows.

"Do they always flirt when they spar?" Haruka asks Ino as she walks up and sits down beside her.

"Every time. It loses it's cuteness after a while." She says and I shake my head. "Hope you don't mind, I came to observe."

"Darling, you're always more than welcome." I say and then I'm attacking my husband. He's not holding back…mostly because he knows how important this is to me.

"Was she ever predominantly this way?" Haruka asks in a more quiet voice. "I'm used to seeing her less…"

"Before she became mostly medical she was more aggressive in her fighting. She was small, so people underestimated her, so she made up for it by being especially aggressive." Ino explains, her voice facing away from us. She must be picking up Miyuki.

"She only got more aggressive after the Strength of a Hundred seal." Shikamaru says, his effort apparent in his tone. "And she hasn't lost it."

"The only reason I wasn't doing it was because I literally couldn't." I say, throwing a particularly hard punch. He catches my fist and we slide a little bit. All of a sudden I sense another chakra and I turn to block a blow from Sasuke. I backflip away, landing in a crouch. I asked them both to spar me at the same time.

"You're in for a real treat, Haruka." Ino says off-handedly. "It was always fun watching these two spar. Watch closely."

"She's changed her stance." My student observes. "Is it because Sasuke would anticipate her movements since they were trained together as children?"

"Kind of. She didn't even consciously do it which is a testament to how much she strived to be different from him." Ino snickers. "Shikamaru's going easy on her though, which isn't going to fare well for him."

"He's what!?" I exclaim and then I run at them, pretending to be sloppy in my movement. I move around behind him and kick the back of his knee…not with enough force to hurt him, but enough to get his attention. He's down on one knee now, but he uses that to tuck into a roll. Sasuke uses that as an opportunity to sneak in a kidney punch and I move with the blow to lessen the pain. I throw my elbow back and catch him in the sternum. Out of habit I reach for my tanto, but seeing as though I'm not wearing it, that won't work. That and this is taijutsu only. Someone grabs me from behind and I don't think, I just throw my head back.

"Jeez!" Shikamaru exclaims and I see Sasuke raise his eyebrows. "You broke my nose, Mina."

"Sorry." I say, turning to face him. Blood is pouring from his nose. My hand glows green as I approach him. He moves his own hand and I straighten it out before I heal it for him. "I'm really sorry."

"It's okay." He says, amused. "It surprised me…I don't think you've ever actually hurt me before."

"Jeez, Minako." Ino says with a laugh. "I guess we don't have to worry about you." I shrug as I walk over and grab my backpack.

"Give me your shirt, Shikamaru." I say as I grab a scroll out. "I don't want that blood to get a chance to dry."

"Yes, Dear." He says as he takes off his shirt and tosses it to me. I sit down on the ground and pour peroxide over it and begin scrubbing at it with the brush that I keep in the scroll designated for blood clean up. "Do you happen to have another shirt for me?"

"Dude. She probably has another shirt for me somewhere in there." Sasuke says and I snicker. "You do, don't you?"

"I mean you two haven't learned well enough from me to carry extras around and so someone has to do it." I say and then I nod towards my back right pouch. "I tend to keep extra clothes on my person…just in case we need to run."

"I imagine you could set up a whole other nursery with what you keep in scrolls in your backpack then." Ino says and I shrug. Shikamaru grabs the scroll with his clothes from my pouch and he kisses my cheek as he does so. I assume he's cleaned the blood off of his face.

"You did very well." He says and I shrug before I pour water to rinse the shirt just a little bit. Then I use the brush to clean out under my nails. "Don't shrug. I shouldn't have underestimated you. I'm sorry."

"Just don't let it happen again." I say with a smile and then I lay the shirt out to dry in the sun. "Is Sakura bringing Sarada by?"

"Should be." Sasuke nods. "Do you want to do a run with jutsu before then?" I stand up and hum.

"That would be fun. Should we let the cheater play too?" I ask, nodding towards Shikamaru who gives me a look.

"Why don't you let me play?" Ino asks and I give her a skeptical look. I walk over and smell her…she smells different. "Don't go bloodhound on me, what's going on?"

"Shikamaru, take your daughter for a second." I say as I sit down beside my friend. "When was your last menstrual cycle?"

"You don't think….Check." She says, her eyes wide. I form the seals, just to be sure and I place my hand against where her uterus sits and I raise my eyebrows.  
"Ino Yamanaka." I say in a 'for shame' tone. "It appears as though you're expecting." I see fear and then a smile fills her features. "You'll be great…and you've got two moms your age who can and will help you. Who knows? Maybe you'll have a son and he'll fall in love with my beautiful daughter." I shrug.

"I'm sorry, but there's nobody on this planet good enough for either Miyuki or Sarada." Sasuke says and I turn and raise my eyebrows at him.

"I have to agree with him." Shikamaru says and I burst out laughing. They're two and three months old and they've already decided.

"At least you're not planning on using them as pawns. Okay. We'll discuss it when they're older." I say as I stand. "Are you okay, Ino?"

"Just kind of in shock, you know?" She says and I smile. "Shikamaru, give me back the baby. I need practice."

"Alright. Alright." He says as he gives Miyuki a kiss on the forehead and places her back in Ino's arms. "You're not going to get depressed are you? You've always been worried about your weight."

"It's like I told Minako." She says as she rocks Miyuki. "It isn't getting fat…it's going to be my body doing what it needs to in order to make room for my child."

"That's all fine and dandy…but I'm just fat now." I say as I rest a hand on my stomach. I'll admit, it's not bad considering I had twins…but I've definitely got extra skin that needs to be toned.

"You're not fat." Shikamaru rolls his eyes and I smile sweetly as I attach my tanto. "Oh boy. So I guess that means I get to 'play'?"

"Unless your face hurts. In which case you can sit out if you want. It's been a while since Sasuke and I had a good old fashioned spar against one another." I say with a shrug. "Though it might be worth noting how to take advantage of the weaknesses in the Nara style."

"And this is how you goad Shikamaru into a fight." Ino whispers to Haruka. "She's the best at it."

"The weaknesses in the Nara style? You're the one who married a Nara." He says, falling right for my trap.

"It's alright, Sweetheart. I understand that you're getting older." I say gently and the vein on his forehead pops out. "Oh my god, it hasn't done that in forever." I'm laughing.

"That tears it. Sasuke, you sit out of this one." Shikamaru says as he takes me by the hand and leads me towards the center of the sparring ring.

"That's still my sister you're fighting." Sasuke reminds him…I don't think he needs to though.

"Be more careful this time. Getting blood out of things is bothersome." I say with a sigh and he just smiles at me. It's honestly kind of creepy.

"Keep talking, Honey." He says and I gasp as I drop into a crouch, kicking up dust and sending chakra sparking through it to create dazzling sparkles.

"That's cheap!" I say with a huff. "And when did you get so creepy with the shadow stuff?"

"Sweetheart, you've not even seen the things that I can do with Shadow Possession. It's been so long since we've really fought together." He says and I shake my head, but move in closer. "It's comforting to know that you stick with the classics."

"While you've been training, I've been carrying your children." I say, drawing my tanto. He meets my strike with a kunai and we get locked into a dance of exchanging blows. He knocks my tanto away finally and I put distance in between us as I work through the seals for an illusion. I juke to right left and disappear in a flurry of feathers. This is a new technique that I have been working on. He stoops and picks up my tanto in one fluid motion. Knowing him, he'll expect me from the right…so I should attack from left. Then again, he would expect that as well. What wouldn't he expect?

"Quit stalling. You really think you'll have this much time in a real fight?" He says and I make my decision then. I leap into the air and bring my leg down in an axe kick. He brings the flat of the sword up just in time for me to kick off of it and land in a crouch.

"I don't think you understand just how chatty the bad guys get when they fight me, Dear." I say as I stand up. "I rather liked that move though. If I beef it up I can call it something neat."

"You would think of that." He says with a roll of his eyes. I take out a scroll and unseal my dual katanas. "I was wondering if they'd make an appearance. Kenjutsu has always been a favorite of yours."

"Well you know why." I say, coming at him with nowhere near my full force. "I'm not really giving you a chance to impress me with your jutsu."

"I think we're at a point in our relationship where we don't have to impress each other anymore." He says and that's when I notice the one-handed seal. I leap into the air just as the earth beneath me turns into a fine enough sand that I would sink in.

"Damn Earth affinity. Trying to put out my fire." I say as I throw my body into a backflip. As I come back around I make a tiger seal and inhale. He ducks out of the way and I come back with the Dance of the Crescent Moon. Fire is too dangerous around the children anyway. He effectively blocks the real Minako and he smiles, not the creepy one from before. It's a proud smile.

"But you do continue to impress me." He says and then I hear Miyuki start crying and I drop my swords and walk over towards them.

"It's feeding time." I say as I stoop and get into my backpack to get the scroll I keep the bottles in. "Shikadai shouldn't be too far behind her." I hold my pinky to Miyuki's mouth and she latches on. I smile as I unseal the bottles, set one aside, shake the one in my hand up and take her from Ino. I sit down, gently rocking her as I hold the bottle to her lips. She latches on without question.

"It always amazes me how quickly you switch objectives, Minako." Sakura says as she walks up, Sarada strapped to her chest much like how I prefer to carry the twins around. "But you're looking good."

"Thanks." I say with a bright smile. Shikadai makes a face before he starts to whine. I totally called it. "Sasuke and I had pain twin telepathy, these two have hunger twin telepathy. I swear."

"I think we have it too, the problem is that you're never not hungry." Sasuke says and I stick my tongue out at him. Haruka laughs as she shakes up the other bottle and holds it to her cousin's mouth. He gladly accepts it. "You're pretty good at that, Haruka."

"Yeah? Well if being a shinobi doesn't work out, I think I'd like to work in the maternity ward." She says with a shrug. "Who knew I of all people would like kids?"

"Surely not me. You were a pretty big asshole when we first me." I say and she scoffs at me. "There has to be some mistake. I'm a know-it-all little twelve-year-old kid. You were almost as bad as Sasuke."

"You know? I think I'll take that as a compliment." She says and I roll my eyes. "Someone had to pay you back for exasperating Shikamaru so badly. Good thing it was your own brother….otherwise you may have killed him."

"I can't tell you how many times she's threatened my life. And you know she can make good on that promise." My brother says and she looks away. As far as I know, she's only ever been around two deaths…and they were both hard on her.

"Why are we talking about this around the children? What kind of father are you, Sasuke?" I demand comedically…as if I wasn't the one just sparring my own husband.

"You know…I'd kind of like a go at someone." Sakura says and I smirk. "Are you up for it, Haruka?"

"I'm hardly anywhere near your level." She says, one eyebrow raised. "All you would have to do is sneeze at me."

"Haruka Nara. What is my first rule?" I ask in my no-nonsense tone. She gives me a dubious look. "Nara. First rule." That's my Lady Tsunade voice.

"Even if you know they're stronger than you, don't back down." She recites and I gesture her on. "Because I'm not allowed to die until every single shinobi in my care is down."

"As a medical shinobi we do not have the luxury of laying down and giving up. Even if you know they're stronger, you fight until you literally cannot fight anymore. And we train for that by…." I gesture her on.

"Taking each encounter with deadly seriousness." She says and I nod. "Okay…" She nods. "Ino?"

"I've got the baby." She says with a fond smile as she holds out her arms. Haruka places him in her care before she stands up. "Go easy on her, she just had a baby."

"I have maybe a tenth of her strength. I'll need to go all out." She says with a laugh. Sakura hands over Sarada to Sasuke and the two women meet in the ring. "I must've been crazy…asking Minako to train me in medical."

"You know…I tried to warn you. She's intense." Shikamaru says lightly and I elbow him. He chuckles as he sits down beside me and puts his arm around my shoulders after at least tucking my tanto back into place just above my pouches. The katana have been sat aside for now.

"She's throwing me to the wolves." She says as she falls into a familiar stance. "Jutsu or no?"

"I'll leave that up to you." Sakura says as she falls into her own stance. "Don't worry about hurting me."

"I'm not." She says honestly and I roll my eyes. It is an unspoken agreement when they start their spar. Haruka takes a step back and I can tell that she's nervous.

"I'll be your sensei today if it will make you stop wearing your feelings so plainly!" I call light-heartedly.

"Please?" She says, not taking her eyes off of Sakura. I hand Miyuki over to Shikamaru as I stand up.

"Get your ass moving, Nara!" I bark and the switch in her demeanor is almost instant. That's when the spar really begins. Haruka runs at Sakura and they begin exchanging blows. I pace back and forth at the edge of the ring, hands on my hips and an unimpressed look on my face. "Weak form! If Sakura weren't so nice she would've flattened you less than a second ago! When the hell did you get so sloppy?" It was within the first week of training that I realized that the type of trainer that Haruka needed was a harsh one. She had the typical blasé Nara demeanor that has always driven me nuts. She didn't think she needed much extra training…that is until she decided that she wanted to learn medical. That's when I had to get more harsh with her. I had to make her understand what she was getting herself into. What it means to put others before yourself. "You may as well fight how you would a real enemy! You're going to need it!" Some of my methods come from Kenta…others Lady Tsunade…but what I have always tried to beat into their heads is my determination. It isn't something that can be taught…it has to exist beforehand. She lands a good hit on Sakura and I hold my breath, pausing in my pacing to watch. She throws some kunai and Sakura dodges them, and she is successfully distracted as Haruka's shadow snakes across the ground and she takes control. What she isn't prepared for is Sakura's brute strength.

"Cha!" My sister-in-law shouts as she breaks out of the possession and darts across the field. She throws a punch into Haruka's stomach and it knocks her out of the ring.

"You can do so much better, Haruka. I guess you and I are going to have to spar now." I say as I walk into the ring.

"Sensei." She says from the ground. Sakura has a fond smile on her face. "Come on…" I motion for her to stand up.

"Stand up and defend yourself. I won't enhance my muscle with chakra." I say and she offers a dry look.

"Like that will help." She says as she hauls herself up and comes back into the ring. "I don't get a break?"

"You don't get breaks in real life either." I say as I fall into a stance. "Since when did you get so lazy? I was only out for…nine, ten, eleven months."

"I'm not lazy." She says as she falls into her own stance. I nod once, waiting patiently. She's not typically the one who attacks first…and it looks like she's not going to.

"Suit yourself." I say as I attack. With each block she backs towards the edge of the ring. "I need you to do better, Haruka." My voice is eerily calm.

"Come on, Haruka!" Sakura cheers from the sidelines. "You can do this!" I sense Toshio's chakra nearby. I knock Haruka down and I aim a kick, but she rolls out of the way just in time. She rolls into a crouch before she launches herself at me with a cry. She lands a decent blow and I move with it as I normally would, but she comes back around and lands another good one. I drop to sweep her feet, but she gracefully leaps into the air. As she's landed, I launch myself up, tackling her to the ground. I pull a kunai but she blocks it with her own before she brings knees to her chest and kicks me off. She scrambles around into a low stance, keeping her eyes on me. She reminds me of a tiger with her deadly focus. She has really grown up since I first started training her…In those days she wore her hair short and practical. Now she is clearly growing into a beautiful young woman. Her hair is longer than it used to be and she dresses more…feminine. It's refreshing to see her embrace that you can be practical while still caring a little bit about how you look. I draw my tanto, but keep up the appearance of leaving myself open. She takes the chance then, springing forward with a kunai in either hand. Like I taught her, she spins into her blow to put as much force behind it as she can. I block her first strike and so she spins back around, sweeping low this time. I move to block and all of a sudden we both stop.

"Shadow possession complete." She says as she stands up from her crouch, holding a modified rat seal on her hands. I activate my Sharingan then and she tries to quickly avert her gaze, but I'm too fast for her and she's trapped in my genjutsu. It's nothing scary…she just can't see me. She puts distance between herself and my last know position. Her head whips around as she tries to locate me.

"You got cocky, Haruka." I say and it doesn't give away my position because it sounds like I'm all around her. "Shikamaru used to do the same exact thing. Getting cocky can get you killed. What are you going to do about it?"

"I need to keep my head." She says and her rigid posture becomes more relaxed. She does something that I don't expect then….she closes her eyes and takes a deep breath. Then, after a moment, she moves to attack me. We're back exchanging blows like nothing had changed, except something has changed now. Her determination is more fierce than it was before. Finally, she grabs both of my wrists, yanks me towards her and headbutts me. I don't have to admit to her that this move indeed stunned me, but I will not admit it out loud. I stumble backwards and try to disguise it as me backflipping away. I land in a crouch. She's standing in a position ready to defend or attack, panting heavily, and a trickle of blood is running down from a small cut on her forehead.

"Okay, it's done." I say as I stand. I regard her neutrally for a moment before I smile. "I'm very proud of you, Haruka."

"Well…I can honestly say that you fight like how I would assume someone trained by my sister would fight." Sasuke says, a 'not bad' look on his face. "Explain closing your eyes."

"Well…her genjutsu was affecting my sight. So I just had to reach out and sense her. That's not so hard is it?" She says simply.

"Haruka. I'm married to her and sometimes I have a hard time sensing her when we're in the same room." Shikamaru says dubiously.

"Then you might not be as close with your wife as you think." She says and then she makes an 'awkward' look. He gets an annoyed look on his face. "I don't know. I just reached out to her."

"You're my girl." I say as I throw an arm around her shoulders. "You little shit with your cheater jutsu."

"If you want to get technical, those are your kids." She says as she points to the twins. I roll my eyes. "And it's not cheating. How would you immobilize an opponent?"

"That's a good question!" I say brightly. "Seeing as though I am a highly skilled shinobi, I have a few options. I know a couple of good Earth style jutsu that I could pull out in a pinch. Otherwise, I could probably just break their knee caps or I could use chakra scalpels to slice their Achilles tendons if I didn't have any of my blades available to me."

"You're sick." She says, making a face. "But…you know…I think I kind of like it." I grin.

"When the sick get sick, the good guys sometimes have to get sicker." I say with a shrug. "I don't love what I do, but you do it for those that you love."

"I agree with that." Sasuke says with a nod. Sakura grins at him and he puts his arm around her.

"We're old as shit." I say with a sigh. Haruka offers a look of agreement and I pull her into a headlock. "Only I can call me old, brat!"

"Okay, you sounded a little too much like Lady Tsunade there. I think you need a nap, Minako." Ino says and I laugh. She's probably right.

* * *

"The kids are down. I give Miyuki three hours, Shikadai four." I say as I crawl into bed with a sigh. I'm exhausted.

"I'll take care of it. Get some rest." Shikamaru says as he pulls the covers up over me. I turn over and smile up at him. "I'm serious. I haven't seen you look this ragged since you were neck deep in medical text books trying to figure out how to fix Lee's leg."

"Well you know I was also dealing with some other stuff at that time too." I say and then I narrow my eyes at him. "Aren't you supposed to tell the mother of your children, your wife that she looks beautiful no matter what?"

"Well you know that you're always beautiful. I've never had to tell you that." He says with a small smile. "But you are very beautiful."

"Yeah. Yeah." I say as I snuggle up to the covers. "Let me know if they get to be too much for you. Miyuki has my will." My eyes are already closing.

"I've handled you all these years, I think that I'll be fine." He says and I don't even have the energy to quip back at him. It isn't too long, however, before there's a knock at the front door. My eyes open and Shikamaru is already standing up. I feel for the chakra and it's Hinata.

"No, get back in bed. She's here for me." I say as I hop out of bed. He gives me a look and I head downstairs and open the door. She jumps she sees me. "Hey Hinata, is everything okay?"

"Yes…I just…I was wondering if I could talk to you." She says shyly and I nod slowly as I step back and allow her inside.

"Shikamaru won't bother us. He's probably working on some stuff for work anyhow." I say as I lead the way to the kitchen where I put on a kettle of water to boil. I lean against the counter and she stands there rigidly, fidgeting with her fingers like she used to when we were kids. "Are you sure everything is okay?"

"I….think that I might be…pregnant." She says, her cheeks turning bright red. I smile in a manner that is reassuring.

"I can check for you, do you want that?" I ask and she nods once. I walk over to her and my hand glows green with the diagnostic jutsu as I examine her. "I believe you are. I would recommend getting checked out at the hospital just because I'm not too experienced with this stuff other than having children…but as far as I can tell, it looks like you are."

"Oh…o-okay. Thank you." She says, and I can somewhat tell she's beginning to panic. "I suppose I should go home then…."

"If you want to go home, I can walk you. Just give me a second to let Shikamaru know." I say seriously and she nods. I jog upstairs and to my bedroom. "I'm walking Hinata home." I grab one of my pouches and attach it to my yoga pants before I go over and kiss his cheek. "I won't tell you how to take care of your kids. I'll be back."

"Be careful." He says and I can see the stress building. I lean in for a better kiss, but he doesn't relax.

"When I get back, I'm going to give you a back massage and you're going to deal with it." I say as I walk to the door. I look over my shoulder at him and he's smirking a little bit. I head downstairs and see Hinata waiting by the door. "Sorry, I'm good to go now."

"It's okay." She says quietly and I smile before we head out into the night. It's not so late that nobody is out and about, but she obviously doesn't need to be alone right now. "What should I do?"

"Well, like I said you should probably get checked out by someone more experienced with this stuff. I delivered a baby once, but that was an emergency situation. Second, you need to decide if you want to keep the baby. I know you probably do, but I mean I'm just covering all my bases. The third step would probably be to tell Naruto. He's going to be so excited to be a father." I say with a fond smile. "And also…I'm kind of excited that our kids will grow up together."

"You're right." She says, clasping her hands in front of her. "I'm just….nervous…that he'll be angry first."

"There are two things that anger Naruto. One is when someone disrespects the people he cares about and two when someone messes with his ramen. He won't be angry. He'll be ecstatic." I say and she looks at me, eyebrows furrowed. "And besides, if he does get angry I'll kick his ass. Nobody disrespects you and gets away with it."

"Oh no! I'm not worried that he would disrespect me!" She says, shocked at my amount of dedication apparently. "I think…I think part of me is just worried about becoming a mother. I want to be a good one."

"Oh…that I do understand. I can tell you not to worry…but I know it won't do any good. I still worry that I'm not good enough to be Miyuki and Shikadai's mom." I say and she looks shocked again.

"You're a wonderful mother, Minako. I knew that you were dedicated to the people you cared about before….but…when I see you just holding them and looking at them…it's different somehow." She says and I smile a little.

"As dedicated to the preservation of the people I care about as I was before…the twins are different. They're one part me and one part the love of my life. I can't really describe what I feel for them…it's like feeling every single emotion at once but amplified one hundred fold." I say and I feel my eyes sting with my emotion. "While I am afraid of not being good enough for them…I would give anything for them."

"As scary as that sounds like it feels…it's kind of comforting if that makes sense." She says and I grin.

"Glad I could be of service." I say and she chuckles daintily. "Everything is going to be fine…I'll be there for you every step of the way."

"Thank you, Minako…" She says and I see the tears welling up in her eyes. She quickly wipes them away.

"Be prepared for that to happen a lot." I say with a sigh. "My hormones are still messed up." She laughs, the tears overflowing a bit now.

"Can I ask you for a favor?" She asks as she wipes more tears away. "Can you tell me how you told Shikamaru you were pregnant?"

"Well…you know that he and I have a very odd relationship that is full of sarcasm." I say lightly. "He had come home from a mission while I was out getting checked and scared the life out of me. He knew something was wrong when I willingly went to take a nap. So he followed me and we laid down and I just kind of blurted it out. Then I called him a jerk because it wasn't supposed to happen so quickly. We'd agreed to start trying."

"Oh." She says, nodding a little. "Can I ask for another favor?" I nod. "Will you be there with me when I tell Naruto? Uh…tonight?"

"Huh? Well…sure, I guess." I say with a shrug. "I can't stay too late, but I can be there for you when you tell him."

"Thank you." She says, letting out a sigh of relief. "You've….always been someone who inspires confidence in me."

"Good. You should be confident. You're a phenomenal woman, Hinata." I say and she blushes. We climb the stairs to her and Naruto's apartment and she opens the door and leads the way inside.

"Minako? What are you doin' here?" Naruto asks as he stands up from his cup of ramen. Hinata looks at me and I nod.

"N-naruto…th-there's something that I need to tell you." She says, her face turning red again. She's fidgeting.

"Is everything okay?" He asks, his blue eyes very worried all of a sudden rather than confused. "You're not sick, are you? Why is Minako here?"

"It's okay, Hinata." I say gently and she looks at me, her eyes almost desperate. "You want me to?" She nods. "Okay…well. Best to just rip the band aid right off. Naruto, Hinata is pregnant. Take her to the hospital first thing in the morning to get checked out. Sound good?"

"What?!" He exclaims, looking between the two of us. "Really!? You are!?" He leaps over the table and pulls his wife into his arms. She lets out a startled gasp, but slowly wraps her arms around him as well. I give Naruto a thumbs up before I slowly back away and exit the apartment…I think its best to let them talk now. I climb onto the railing before I leap to the rooftops to head home that way. It's been too long since I've been able to travel as I wish. To move like this is freeing. When I reach the road that my home is on, I leap down and begin walking. That's when I see someone lurking across the street from my house. At first it seems like someone has just stepped outside to smoke a cigarette…but the posture is too familiar. Not in the sense that Asuma is familiar…no...this person is familiar in a different way. The cigarette gets flicked out and the figure steps into the light revealing to me Junichi.

"Minako, it's been a long time." He says, not sounding at all like himself. The smoking is a tip off that something is different as well.

"Jun." I say as my stance shifts into a defensive one. "I know what happened. Let me help you."

"There's no helping any of us. We're all going to die." He says with a smirk. "But you…you've got a job to do first."

"And what's that?" I ask sarcastically…if I can gather the intelligence…keep him talking before I subdue him.

"See…I could tell you right now…or we could just fight. It's been a while." He says, shifting from a casual stance into one that is more imposing.

"Oh come on." I say with a roll of my eyes. What I don't anticipate is how quickly he moves. He kicks the back of my knee and grabs my hair. I gasp. "Junichi, you need to stop." My tone is a warning. "I'm not going to kill you."

"I know you're not." He says, his grip on my hair tightening. I look up at him and his eyes look dead. Emotional appeal isn't going to work. If we study the jutsu that he's under, then we may be able to prepare for Izanagi's arrival. I'm stuck though. I don't want to call attention to what's going on because Shikamaru would kill him. There's no doubt in my mind. How do I get away now? "You're not really so weak that you'd just give up fighting are you?" That's when it hits me. The conversation I had with Haruka about how I would subdue someone. I have very few shots at this. Against the pain, I focus my chakra and I punch Junichi's knee. I hear as the bone snaps and he cries out, letting go of my hair. "You bitch!" He shouts and I kick out and break his other knee. He lurches towards me and I launch myself up, tackling him to the ground.

"Don't you fucking move, Jun." I say through my teeth. He's raving like a mad man, lights are turning on. I bring my fist back and then I punch his lights out. Shikamaru runs out the door, kunai drawn. "It's okay." I say as I stand up. "It's okay." I'm shaking. A couple of ANBU shinobi land in front of me. "I deliver to you Junichi Kurosaki. I believe you have orders to take him in, but he will need medical attention."

"We'll handle it from here." The taller of the two says as he moves in to collect him. I hear Shikadai begin to cry then and I head inside. Shikamaru looks confused as hell, but I don't care. My son needs me. I reach the nursery and lift him out of his crib and rock him gently.

"Momma is okay." I say softly. I go over and see that Miyuki is awake but not crying. Our eyes lock and she reaches a hand out to me. I hold my finger out to her and she grasps it and coos softly. "Momma's okay." I repeat. I hear Shikamaru on the stairs and he comes in. "Let's co-sleep tonight." I look at him and his eyebrows are furrowed.

"Yeah. I like that idea." He says with a nod. "Why don't you take a shower first?" I nod as I hand Shikadai over to him and he picks up Miyuki. I smile at the picture before me. "I mean we'll have to talk about it…but…"

"You were falling asleep and so your brain is fuzzy and you're confused. I understand." I say and he gives me a look. "We'll talk after my shower." I say and I head into the bathroom. I really hope that by the time I'm done, Shikamaru and the kids are asleep…but I highly doubt that I'll be that lucky. I turn on the water and strip out of my clothes. I climb in and let the water flow over me. I attempt to release the tension in my shoulders by way of letting the water flow on my back. I give up after a moment and wash my hair and body before I get out and wrap myself in my favorite fluffy towel. I flip my head over and twist my hair up in the towel to get the excess water out. I toss my clothes into the hamper before I pick up my pouch and head back to the room. As I suspected, Shikamaru isn't asleep. I am greeted by the beautiful image of him laying on his side, letting Miyuki hold onto his fingers.

"What happened?" He asks, not moving his eyes from Miyuki's. I can see that Shikadai is asleep. I sigh as I sit down at my vanity and squeeze my hair before I let it out of the towel. I begin brushing through it, slowly and methodically.

"I was coming back from Hinata and Naruto's…and I noticed someone standing across from the house and it was weird. I realized it was Junichi and he was aggressive and so I handled it…" I explain softly. "And I did it in such a way that we can study him to figure out what kind of technique is being used…so hopefully we can break it and then also…hopefully we can figure out how to handle Izanagi when he comes." My husband hums. "I'm sorry I didn't call for you, but I did have it handled."

"Oh, I know." He says and I turn and look at him. "I've had a lot of time to think about where we stand. As husband and wife and as a mother and a father. It is my duty to protect my family…but you're also capable of protecting our family. You literally handled it without a scratch and so…everything is fine."

"Are you feeling okay?" I ask, raising an eyebrow at him. He looks at me before he smirks.

"Well…I'm going to need you to put some clothes on. But yeah, I'm feeling fine." He says and I roll my eyes before I get up and go over to the closet where I put on a pair of shorts and one of his tee shirts. I sit back down and go about brushing my hair again. "I don't want you to think that I don't trust you to be able to be a shinobi as well as my wife."

"I know that you trust me." I say gently. "I also know that you love me so much that it makes you crazy with worry. I'm proud of how maturely you're handling this situation."

"It's not just the two of us anymore…I can't recklessly throw myself at danger. We have to be smart about what we put ourselves in and I trust you to do that just like you trust me." He says and I smile as I finish brushing my hair. I put my brush away and go over and lay down in bed. Our son and daughter between us.

"You make me crazy with worry too, you know." I say and he smiles as he leans over and kisses me. "I love you so much, Shikamaru."

"I love you too, Minako." He says and I close my eyes against tears that I feel welling up. "Let's just enjoy being a family right now."

"I agree." I say as I pull the covers up. I lay a kiss on Shikadai's forehead and he sighs contentedly in his sleep. Miyuki slowly looks at me. "I'll make this world a safe place for you and your brother. I promise."

"And if there's one thing your mom knows how to do, it's keep a promise." Shikamaru says and I sigh, closing my eyes. "Go to sleep, I've got you."

* * *

 _ **Side note, I'm kind of starting to feel like Oprah handing out all these babies! You get a baby! And you get a baby! Babies all around! Which is good for me because I love babies. Who wants to see an awkward Uncle Itachi in the next chapter?**_


	20. To Be Determined

**Well holy heck, guys! Here we are at chapter 20 and my inspiration has been revamped by none other than the lovely reviewer who has made my past couple of days suck less, Mori e Ikou! So if you're wondering who you should thank for this update, it is that beautiful specimen! This update is a quickie to let you guys know that I am still thinking about Minako and what's going to happen, but I've got some really good excuses. I'm still doing the college thing and right now it's kicking my butt. So, given that I keep motivated to do my work, this will probably be the last update for a while. I've got a lot of big assignments coming up. My semester ends early in May and I will try to work on this as well as my assignments, but school has to come first! I know that you guys understand and I'm so happy that so many people have found this story and are enjoying it. I love Minako so much and I'm so glad to be able to share this with you. As always, let me know what you think and enjoy the update!**

* * *

I'm on edge, but I know that the twins are safe. I know that my husband is okay because he is beside me. I know that my father-in-law is safe because he is on the other side of me. The three of us watch through the two-way mirror as a nin who specializes in interrogation interrogates my former team mate and friend. My friend who is a danger to myself, my family, and his own self.

"You don't have to be here for this." Shikamaru says and I don't look away. "You could go sit with Mom and the kids."

"I want to know everything as we find it out." I say and I hear his sigh. He's worried about me because I've been sleeping even less than I did before. It's been three days since the incident. The nin excuses himself and goes out of the room. Junichi just sits there, staring at the table in contempt. Ibiki Morino comes into the room that we're in.

"Would you feel comfortable going in there?" He asks, looking at me. Not humoring my husband at all with the idea that this is his choice

"No. She's not." He says, ignoring the lack of invitation. "He was sent to try and kill her. Our children were…"

"Shikamaru." I say gently. "Our children were right there…I know…but that's all the more reason why we need to get as much information out of him as possible. If Ibiki thinks that there is something I could say, then I need to try."

"Alright. Follow me." The scarred man says, turning on his heel and heading out. I give Shikamaru's hand a gentle squeeze before I follow behind Ibiki. "The plan is for you to just to talk to him. He is cut off from using chakra and he is also restrained."

"I'm not afraid of him." I say and it's not a bravado. I'm really more afraid of hurting him.

"Good." He says and then he does a glance of a look-over on me. Probably to assess how armed I am. I have my tanto as well as my usual amount kunai…which is enough for three men. "Right. So go in through there." He nods at a door and I nod before I head inside without a second thought.

"Junichi." I say and he actually startles at the sound of my voice. "How are your knees?" I ask as I sit down across from him. He stays quiet as he glares at me. "Oh, I found these on the ground after everything." I say as I pull a pack of cigarettes from my pouch. "You must be going through some serious nicotine withdrawal. You want one?"

"Sure." He says after a few ticks of silence. I take one out of the package and reach across the table and put it between his lips. I produce a lighter and light it for him. "Thanks."

"We were friends at one point." I say as I set the pack on the table and lean back in my chair. "It may just be the optimist in me, but I think that my friend is still in there."

"He died a long time ago." He says, inhaling and then blowing smoke out. "I don't give a rat's ass what happens to you." I don't react to his words, but they do hurt. "He thought it would be easy to goad you out."

"Easy to goad me out? What do you mean?" I ask, crossing my legs. "By 'He', do you mean Orochimaru?" The name tastes disgusting coming from my mouth. "What did he do to you?"

"He made me see the truth." He says and I quirk my eyebrows. "You're a show off and you don't care about anybody but your stupid brother and your stupid husband."

"I'm not going to argue with you about how that's totally wrong, but okay. So this is starting to come together in my head." I say and he laughs.

"Is it? You think you've got it all figured out. You're going to wake up one morning and you won't know what hit you." He says and I don't react.

"You said that I had a job to do. What job is that, Junichi?" I ask, changing the subject. "You at least used to care about me, so why don't you give me a heads up?"

"He did want me to let you know what you were going to do. So okay." He says and then he gets a twisted look in his eyes. "You're gonna have his babies. Surprise!" He laughs. "Even though you were already knocked up like a whore."

"Never mind that I'm married." I say with a chuckle. "You don't have to insult me, Junichi."

"He was kind of glad. You'll be more fertile when he gets to you." He says and I shake my head.

"Alright, Junichi. I think that's enough for today." I say as I lean over and pluck the cigarette from his mouth. I put it out on the table and set it down in front of him before I head out of the room. I head back to where I was watching from and Shikamaru is seething. Ibiki is there as well. "I think that I may have figured out what he's done to them."

"We'll spit ball ideas." Ibiki agrees. "You can go first." I go over and look through the mirror at my friend. He's staring blankly at the table now.

"I think that he has developed some sort of mind control jutsu that feeds off latent emotions of resentment. Kenta-sensei…while I don't know why there was resentment, there obviously wasn't enough for it to be a strong control because his mind was clear. You heard him say that I was a show off. I guess I didn't realize back then how much it bothered him that I was advancing so much quicker. So his resentment must have grown…and as my relationship with Shikamaru grew…" I say and then I sigh. "He must have felt like I was forgetting about him even though that wasn't true. We were all busy."

"Don't take the blame for this." Shikamaru says and I look at him. "If he had a problem with you, he should have said something."

"Yeah? Well he didn't. And now the vile creature who wants me to be a baby factory has taken over his mind and sent him for me to kill in some sick, twisted ploy to drive me insane." I say shortly.

"Snapping at each other isn't going to make any improvements right now." My father-in-law says evenly. "I think that your theory is solid, Minako."

"It makes sense." Ibiki agrees. "How to undo it without undoing his mind though…Too bad about Jiraiya, we could really use a seal master."

"So it is a seal." I say with a sigh. "Then it may be similar to what Sasuke's curse mark was. It fed off his hatred and anger for Itachi."

"We'll definitely have to ponder on this some more, but I think you've done enough for today. Ibiki?" Shikaku asks, looking to the man who nods.

"We'll be in touch if we think that you'll be able to do anything else." He says, which is basically him disinviting me from coming to sit in on interrogation which makes me nervous that they're going to start torturing him. I'm...I'm going to have to talk to Kakashi about this.

"Okay." I say with a nod. "Alright. Let's go." I head for the exit. My husband and father-in-law follow close behind me. We enter the elevator that takes us to the ground floor. I've never liked going into the below-ground offices in Konoha. It always feels so claustrophobic.

"Alright. So now that we're done there. You're going to get some sleep and then come over for a family dinner." Shikaku says and I give him a look. "You're going to deny me some quality time with my grandchildren?"

"No, she's not." Itachi says, successfully startling me. He places a steadying hand on my elbow. "You're no good to them in this state. If it will make you feel better, I can hang around as well. I heard about what happened." He says and I close my eyes. "Sasuke is displeased."

"He would rather I have killed him." I say with a roll of my eyes. "But if I'd killed him, we wouldn't have potential intelligence."

"I told him this…but you know how he is." He says lightly. "Go home and sleep. Your eyes are heavy."

"Your eyes are heavy." I lift my chin stubbornly and he smiles fondly. He cups my cheek and kisses my forehead like when I was a little girl.

"I'm glad that some things never change." He says and I sigh. "You're no good to the children in this condition. You could fight, but not at your best."

"Quit responding before I get a word in." I say and he smiles. "I'll sleep, but I won't be happy about it."

"And you'll make sure I know about it." Shikamaru says and I roll my eyes. "See you guys later." He says and then he places a guiding arm around me and we head off in the direction of home. "I wanted to punch that guy so hard that his grandchildren felt it."

"Since when are you like that?" I ask as I lean into him as we walk. "Obviously I'm not a whore. You don't need to get all macho."

"You don't like when I get defensive over you?" He asks, lips turning into a slight smirk. I hate that smirk.

"No." I say, stepping away from him. "And don't get that look on your face. You heard the guy, I'm super fertile."

"Okay. We'll be careful." He says and I give him a look. He sighs. It isn't his fault…before everything we had a very healthy relationship. We just don't really have time for it now.

"I'm just not feeling up to it." I say and he nods his understanding. "Thank you." I take his hand. We arrive home and he unlocks the door. I push out my senses as I enter. Nothing is out of place and so we make our way upstairs and check around there. All is well and so we go into our bedroom and I disarm myself against my instinct to remain armed at all times and I lay down with my husband and try to trick myself into falling asleep. I do keep a kunai on the bed side table…and I know an ample amount of jutsu to defend myself…but it's still frightening. Especially after what I just went through. Junichi saying that I wouldn't know what hit me. Though that's probably what he wanted…to unnerve me. I can't live constantly on edge, waiting for the other boot to drop. I have a family that I need to take care of. We need to live as normally as we can.

"Come here." Shikamaru says as he holds his arms out to me. I scoot closer to him and he encapsulates me in his arms. I feel safe. "I've got you."

"I know." I say, my voice a hushed whisper. "And I you." I allow my muscles to relax from their usual tension.

"I know." He says, kissing the top of my head. "Now get some sleep. Your kids need you in tip top shape." I give his arm a light pinch. "Our kids." I smile and drift off.

* * *

I sit in the middle of the rug in the living room and meditate as my children explore around me. Baby gates block off the door ways and there's nothing dangerous for them to get into. I do somewhat of a muscle relaxation technique where I control where my chakra flows. Every once in a while, it's nice to go back to the basics of my training when things were far more simple. I hear a knock on the door and I push my sense out, it's Itachi. I stand up and step over one of the baby gates to get to the front door. I smile at my older brother as I open it.

"Welcome, I was just teaching the children about how to manipulate chakra throughout the body." I say as I lead the way back into the room. Miyuki looks up from the toys she'd been playing with and she gives a happy noise and crawls towards Itachi.

"Hello, little one." He says as he stoops and picks her up. "Is your mom teaching you too much too soon?"

"It's never too early to introduce theory." I say wisely. "So to what do we owe the pleasure?"

"I just came to check on your three. I figured you might be uneasy since Shikamaru has gone back to work." He says and I regard him skeptically. "And…I have some news for you."

"Yes and what is this news?" I ask, glancing at a clock on the wall. "Hold that thought, since you're here we can double team them for feeding time."

"Of course." He says and I smile before I go into the kitchen and grab two bottles from the refrigerator. I take the lids off and pop them into the microwave. When they're done warming, I screw the lids back on and head back into the living room. I hand one to Itachi and then collect my son before I sit down. He checks the temperature of the formula against his wrist before he offers it to Miyuki and she takes it. I test my bottle and determine that it's fine before I offer it to Shikadai. "I've asked Emiko to marry me."

"Oh? That's interesting." I say, containing my excitement. He could just be kidding. I glance at him. "You're serious?"

"Yes…I figured you would be jumping around telling me that you told me so." He says and I shrug.

"I'm also feeding your nephew." I say and then I smile. "I'm really happy for you Itachi. I must say…I never thought that I'd see the day when you would slow down."

"We all have to eventually…" He says and I feel like there's more meaning behind his words. "How have they been?"

"They've been wonderful…It's amazing watching another human discover brand new things every day." I say with a smile. "Shikadai is starting to become more active."

"So overall they're being normal babies…good." He says with a nod. "And how are you doing with Shikamaru being back at work?"

"I'll be honest…it was nice having him around to help out so much…but it's just something we've got to get used to. I also have to get used to completely ignoring the ANBU that hang out around the house in the shadows." I say with a shrug.

"Which is impossible for you." He says as he stops feeding Miyuki to burp her. Once she lets out a good one, he lets her continue eating. "If you didn't get a mid-feeding burp you would spit up all over the place."

"It's easy to forget that you remember me as a little baby." I say and he smiles. "She is like that though."

"I was thinking…if you need help around with them, Emiko would be more than happy to stop by around feeding times at least." He says and I raise an eyebrow.

"I don't want to make her go out of her way. She's going to have enough on her plate learning to deal with the Uchiha family." I say and he chuckles. "You and Sasuke are impossible."

"I apologize that you have to deal with us." He says and if I didn't know him better, I would think he were being sincere. "If you want the help though, I'll run the idea by her."

"You may run the idea by her, but don't make her think that I'm desperate for help. I've got things handled." I say and he nods.

"I know you do. You're a very capable young woman." He says and I stick my tongue out at him. I stop Shikadai and burp him before I let him continue with his bottle. "How has your training been?"

"I feel like I'm back in top shape. I just need to work on pushing past that slowly. I can't exhaust myself like I used to." I say and that appears to be the correct answer. "I sneak training exercises in my daily housework and I'm always up before Shikamaru out in the back yard."

"Remind me…do you do very much with your Sharingan?" He asks and that strikes me as odd…it's never really something we talk about.

"Not very much…why?" I ask and he shakes his head, dismissing the question. "Are you having a problem with your Sharingan, Itachi?"

"To be determined." He says and that concerns me a great deal. "Please don't concern yourself with it just yet."

"Do me a favor and stop by the archives and pick up the medical related documents on the Sharingan." I say in my no-nonsense voice.

"I will." He agrees with a nod. "As long as it is not something that you are concerned about."

"To be determined." I turn his own words back on him and he gives me a look. "If you don't want a sassy response, don't be stupid. You're my brother, of course I'm going to be worried. Especially if you're not doing a good job of hiding that you're collecting intelligence."

"Or maybe that's just what I want you to think." He says and I give him a long look. "You remind me of Mother when you do that."

"You're not going to sweet talk your way out of this one. I have too many people trying to mindfuck me as is." I say and he shakes his head.

"That's true…but really is it wise to speak like that around the children?" He asks and I look between my two spawns.

"The way I see it…I spoke this way before I had them and so it's going to probably be the way I speak for the rest of my life. When the time comes, I will make sure that they know that those are adult words and that they probably shouldn't say them until they're at least thirteen. That and Shikamaru doesn't have a potty mouth, so it's not like they get it from both parents."

"As long as you're sure." He says and that's the end of it. "I am very proud of you, Minako."

"You know? I'm pretty proud of myself too. I'm doing a pretty okay job as a mom, I think." I say and he smiles.

"You're doing exactly what a mother should do." He says and then he gazes down at Miyuki. "Should I keep her from falling asleep?"

"No, it's time for their afternoon nap anyway." I say and he hums, as he gently rocks her. Shikadai is already out. I set the bottle aside and go over and lay him in the bassinet. "She fights sleep and it makes her very cranky."

"Are you making a liar out of your mother now, Miyuki?" He asks her as he lets her take hold of his finger. One hand holds the bottle and the other his finger…it's very cute. Only a moment later she stops sucking on the bottle and lets go of his finger. She's out. He sets the bottle aside before he places her next to her brother. As if he senses her, Shikadai shifts so that they are curled into one another. "You and Sasuke slept like that as well."

"There's just something comforting about being next to him. Back at the apartment, on particularly bad nights we would crawl in with one another. When we first lived with the Naras, we shared a room basically. I always ended up in there. Even to this very day…seeing Sasuke has a way of making me relax even if just a little bit. He's part of my soul." I speak softly as I watch my children sleep. "I'm so happy to know that they'll have that bond as well…I only hope that they're not as troublesome for each other as Sasuke and I have been."

"I have to go…I'll bring those files by in the next couple of days." He says all of a sudden. He kisses the top of my head before he sees himself out. I recall this nervous feeling in my stomach all too well. I summon Kimi.

"What can I do for you, Milady?" She asks as she lands on the back of the couch. "Oh, sorry." She whispers.

"It's fine." I say, waving it off as I speak normally. "I was wondering if you could ask Haruka to come over."

"Absolutely. I'll be back in a flash." She says in a more normal tone, but it is more quiet than usual. She disappears and it isn't too long before there's a knock on the door. I remove the baby gate blocking off from the entry way before I let Haruka in. Kimi is perched on her shoulder.

"Thanks for letting me know that she needed me, Kimi." Haruka says as she reaches into her pouch and pulls out a packet of bird seed.

"Haruka….these are my favorite." She says, getting a sentimental look in her eyes. "Anytime. Do you need anything else, Milady?"

"No, thank you Kimi. Sorry I've been using you as my messenger lately. Hopefully we'll get more action soon." I say with a grin.

"As long as you're safe and I can continue to serve you, I don't care how it is." She says and then she disappears.

"So is everything okay?" Haruka asks as she glances over at the twins. Her look softens briefly before she looks at me.

"I was actually going to see if you could run an errand for me. I'm starting a new research project and I don't have any fresh notebooks." I say, giving her a winning smile. "I'd go myself, but it's a whole thing with two kids now."

"You know I never mind. Just give me a list." She says and I smile as I go over to the list pad we keep handy and begin writing down what I need. "What kind of research project? Is it anything that I can help with."

"While I do appreciate your eagerness to help…it requires a lot of insider knowledge on the Sharingan. I know that you're a busy chunin and so I don't want you to worry about trying to learn all of the anatomy and physiology behind the Sharingan eyes." I speak as I write.

"I'm actually taking a small sabbatical." She says and I raise an eyebrow at her. "I know Shikamaru went back to work and I know that having one baby around is hard enough, I can imagine two is worse. I just want to be sure that someone is around to help you…and we're family."

"Haruka…how many times do I have to tell you that you don't have to feel bad that Junichi attacked me?" I ask and she looks away. "I knew that there was risk when I said that I didn't want to live within the Nara compound." The compromise that we live at least on the same street…but still. "But I do appreciate your help…and if you want to help me research then I will never say no to you expanding your medical knowledge."

"And my cousins will most likely have Sharingan eyes, so…" She says and then she shrugs. "It's the least I can do. Are there any public records on them?" She asks, emphasizing 'any'.

"Probably not much, but it might be a good starting point. Itachi will be bringing more from the Uchiha archives. I don't need to tell you how confidential this information is." I say and she nods.

"Minako…I know this may come as a shock to you….but you can trust me." She says and I stick my tongue out at her. "How did I get stuck with such an immature sensei?"

"I tried to tell them not to let me do it." I say with a shrug. "They were insistent that I teach you. You could do worse than passing the chunin exam your first go around."

"We can't all become chunin outside of the exams like you did." She says and I flip her off. She laughs, an obnoxious sound that is reminiscent of my own laugh when I'm very amused with myself. "Do you have the list?"

"Yes, I do." I say, tearing it off the top and handing it to her along with some money. "I'll pull records of the Sharingan that I have here while you're gone and you can get started on your research."

"Sounds good. I'll be back." She says and then she heads out. It's odd…she definitely didn't like me at first…but now I'd probably admit that I see her as more of a friend than as a student or as a kid.

* * *

 **Again, thank you Mori. You raised some good points in one of your reviews and it got the cogs in this hamster wheel of a brain I've got turning! You are a blessing.**


End file.
